Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest recruiter of them all?

As usual, Katherine-the-Great (KTG) had a terrific meal on the table when I got home last night (no, I'm not the kind of husband that demands it...she is, however, a great cook and loves having a reason to put all seven of us around the table at night - so that's the deal - I don the apron and wash the dishes afterwards).

Anyway, I'm sitting at the table slicing ham and trying my best to hurry (the warriors were hungry and ready to do some damage to Mom's ham and mashed potatoes). As I pass a plate of ham to my four-year old (Rachel), she looks up at me with a deadpan expression and says,

"That's dead pig."

We lost it. That's what I love about kids - they tell it like it is.

Rachel reminded me of the importance of "speaking the truth." At home with my children, wife? Yes. At work with my team? peers? internal candidates? No question. At work with job-seekers? Absolutely.

A while back, Heather posted her personal brand promise on her blog. It's a great read, but here's a quick excerpt:

"Not long ago, I took the opportunity to post my personal brand promise on my blog (in short: responsive and honest). It's amazing how much goodwill that kind of statement generates with candidates and others. Every day I work to live up to that promise. The honesty part is compulsive, the responsiveness I have to work harder at. Do I think that makes me a better recruiter? Yes. Honesty is a best practice."

Unless I'm mistaken, many a job-seeker holds recruiters with the same high regard that Rachel (my four year old) has of ham. We would do well to embrace a personal brand promise that includes a strong reference to "responsiveness & honesty."

We're accustomed to holding job-seekers to a high standard, but if held to the same, would most of us receive a passing grade? What would the mirror have to say about our personal brand promise?

Teddy Roosevelt said,

"I have a perfect horror of words that are not backed up by deeds."

I agree with Heather....honesty is a best practice. And when mixed with responsiveness, well, I think it would make Teddy proud.

Dennis Smith, talentblogger