One conversation, one conference, one chance.
I last wrote those words when I blogged about my friend Beth’s ups and downs after falling victim to a Sourcing layoff.
When something like that happens to your teammate, it affects you. I was the “lone” sourcer at that point, and it hurt like a dagger because I had been a name on a list a few years back, and ironically just completed this “project” where I got to train “transitioning employees” to find new jobs. And when they told me her position was eliminated, well that struck a huge nerve.
But the thing about sourcers, is we persevere no matter the obstacle. Call it grit, or guts, but I saw a fire in Beth. We talked on the phone, usually about tools and search strategies or brainstormed on ways to overcome obstacles. She never gave up, whether it was looking RN Case Managers or employment leads. We talk about real stuff, challenges, obstructions that impend our progress, not stupid crap like the latest reality TV episode. SourceCon brought it all together. One blurb on a Whova board and I was calling Beth. She interviewed, got hired, and now we talk more than when we worked for the same company!
And I completely blame SourceCon and Shannon Pritchett. Without this conference, this connection would have never happened for Beth. So if you have a lingering question, are looking for a sourcer, or are stuck with a tool, ask one of us. Everyone who attended SourceCon is full of helpful ideas no matter what the challenge. You could literally change someone’s life via Whova App.
Beth’s story reminds me of Shaun White and his failure at Sochi. What brings you down can make you stronger, wiser, and motivate you to reach higher. You think he wasn’t told he was too old to complete, or that heavy fall before the Olympics didn’t deter his mindset? Job hunting can have similar pitfalls and crashes to one’s self-worth. You battle through and talk to your peers, keep fighting, and persevere, like Beth.
I think this story is remarkable to tell; often people forget finding talent isn’t about fulfilling a metric. Sometimes humanity hacks the system.
I’m proud of you Beth; you deserve every bit of success you are reaping right now because some of us out here still realize all the obstacles you have had to traverse.
I can’t thank Heartland Dental enough for giving her a chance, one she wholeheartedly deserved.
I’m excited to catch up and see my friend on her on her new adventure. SourceCon is not just a conference, it’s a community that comes together to help its own, driven by the most innovative minds in our industry, as well as the biggest hearts.
Every day I talk to someone who has been a victim of a layoff or restructuring, this crap seems more rampant than ever. I never remember this kind of conversation being as frequent. And my heart goes out to all of them that are stuck somehow. Recruiters and Sourcers, we CAN be heroes, our superpower is we know how to open doors for people.
One conversation, one conference, one chance, that’s sometimes all it takes.
Remember that!