Talent Attraction Techniques

You applied to 100+ jobs but no interviews? Here's what's actually happening. Your experience is valuable. You're just invisible. Let me explain why, and how to fix it. When you apply online, your resume goes into a database called an ATS (Applicant Tracking System). Think of it like a massive filing cabinet. Now here's the key: Some recruiters don't read every resume. They search. Just like you search Google, they search their database: "Python AND data analysis" "SAFe AND agile transformation" "Tableau AND dashboard" If your resume doesn't have their exact search terms, you’re making it harder to get discovered. You're not rejected. You're just not found. But here's the secret: The job description often tells you EXACTLY what keywords they'll search for. It's like having the answer key. Example from a real job posting: If they say "Experience with Snowflake required"... → They'll search "Snowflake" → Make sure you write "Built data warehouse in Snowflake…" Not "cloud database" or "modern data platform." Use their exact words: Snowflake. I've mapped out 80 keywords that get candidates noticed in 2025: Top searches happening right now: • Python, TensorFlow, LangChain (AI roles) • Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker (tech leadership) • Power BI, Tableau, SQL (data leadership) • SAFe, Agile, DevOps (transformation roles) Your action plan: 1. Read the job description carefully 2. Circle every tool, platform, or methodology mentioned 3. Add those EXACT terms to your resume (if you have that experience) 4. Use them naturally in your accomplishments Example: Instead of: "Led team through digital modernization" You say: "Led SAFe agile transformation using ServiceNow and Jira, reducing delivery time by 40%" You have the experience. Now make it searchable. Your next role isn't rejecting you. It just hasn't found you yet. You’ve got this! 💡 Save this cheat sheet of 80 searchable keywords ♻️ Share to help someone in your network Follow me for more insider recruiting insights

Job search gurus say “hire for character” but what do managers look for when they hire for it? Here’s my take ↓ I’ve been a hiring manager for +13 years, at some of the world’s largest and most reputable companies. Here are 4 things I would consider, when attempting to understand someone’s character: 1. The Humble/Confident Spectrum Are they confident enough to ask the difficult questions and stand up for themselves? Are they humble enough to give others credit, and discuss their shortcomings? 2. Emotional Intelligence Quotient Can they manage their emotions, their anxieties, and handle conflicts constructively? Can they read the room, can they understand nonverbal communication cues? 3. Accountability & Reliability Can they take responsibility, and own things that aren’t initially assigned to them? Can they be punctual, and follow through on commitments? 4. Integrity & Conviction Can I trust them to do the right thing, even when no one else is around? Did they care enough about people to step into awkward or difficult situations? - - - Trust me, this list is longer, But this is a great starting point. Let me know what you’d add based off of your own experience or time hiring. ♻️ Repost to normalize hiring for character!

The World Economic Forum just released the most in-demand skills for 2030 — and they’re mostly not technical hard skills. They’re durable. They’re transferrable. And they’re often hiding in plain sight: -> Analytical thinking -> Resilience, flexibility & agility -> Leadership & social influence -> Motivation & self-awareness -> Creative thinking -> Systems thinking -> Curiosity & lifelong learning Here’s the problem: These skills are everywhere — but they’re invisible. ⚠️ They don’t show up on resumes. ⚠️ They’re not listed in job histories. ⚠️ They’re rarely in performance reviews. That’s a massive missed opportunity. Because these are the skills that power transformation, spark innovation and create a lasting competitive edge. Here’s how to fix it: Step 1: Discover hidden talent Use a mindset and cognitive-based instrument like MyInnerGenius® to identify the durable, transferrable skills your people already have — skills that are invisible on paper but critical to future success. MIG also captures the roles they love and find meaningful and fulfilling. Step 2: Build a skills registry Turn those insights into a living, breathing skills registry — a nano-level view of your workforce’s strengths. This makes it possible to match people to emerging roles, projects, and career paths in real time. Step 3: Match people to purpose Use the skills registry to align individuals with the roles and learning opportunities where they’ll thrive — creating a workforce that’s agile, fulfilled and future-ready. That’s how you stop guessing — and start growing with intention. ♻️PS: Please Share #FutureOfWork #SkillsFirst #CareerCoach #HiddenGenius

After I announced my new role, a lot of people asked how I landed something so fast. Instead of answering one by one, I figured it’s time to start posting what’s actually helped, especially in this tough job market. For job seekers out there, I empathize with your frustration, and I see you. Alright, enough intro, let's get into it: What if I told you that most recruiters aren’t reading every resume that crosses our desk? Shocking? Maybe not to some of you. Instead, we’re searching for them using something called Boolean logic. Think of it as a smart keyword search that uses phrases from the job description and hiring manager chats. Here's a quick example of what a really simple Boolean search actually looks like (in this case, for customer success, but apply this to any industry as needed): ("𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳" 𝘖𝘙 "𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳") 𝘈𝘕𝘋 (𝘚𝘢𝘢𝘚 𝘖𝘙 "𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮") 𝘈𝘕𝘋 (𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘖𝘙 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘖𝘙 𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨) 𝘈𝘕𝘋 ("𝘏𝘶𝘣𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘵" 𝘖𝘙 𝘊𝘙𝘔) If those keywords aren’t on your resume, we probably won’t find you. It's a sad truth, but it's worth stating. So what can you do? ⏺️ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (I know you've heard this before and that editing every resume is a PAIN, but it's more important than ever in this market. I recommend having a couple of different resumes for each industry you can reuse to make this an easier lift) ⏺️ 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 (ex: Grew retention from 72% to 91% by redesigning onboarding workflows.) You'd be shocked how many resumes I see that don't have this. It truly will set you apart in the market. ⏺️ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 (𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘆𝗺𝘀). Not every recruiter has deep industry knowledge, so make your experience easy to understand at a glance. ⏺️ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 (You want to show ownership always. Think: Directed, Spearheaded, Launched vs. Helped) I'm here if anyone needs their resume reviewed or has questions. As someone just off the job market, I know how frustrating these searches can be over time! And it’s not about stuffing your resume; it’s about making your impact easier to discover by telling a good story with measurable facts. And transparently, I'm sharing this again because I think people need it right now. I posted it yesterday with a spicier title…and it quietly disappeared. (Shadowbanned? Maybe. Still worth sharing? Absolutely.)

Stop trying to hire "perfect" employees. Hire for attitude, character, work ethic, and willingness to learn. Some of the best employees I’ve hired had zero experience. But they were willing to learn, and they were eager to grow. Recruiters have become obsessed with perfection. But it’s time to give people a chance. This is how we stop good talent from going to waste. Here's why hiring for attitude is so important: 1. Skills change, attitude doesn't: The tools we use at work are always changing. But a good attitude? That sticks around. 2. Team players make everyone better: Someone with a great attitude lifts up the whole team. They make work more fun and help everyone do their best. 3. Problem-solvers are winners: When you hire people who love to learn, they'll figure out how to fix problems on their own. That's valuable! 4. It's easier to train skills: You can teach someone how to use a computer program. But it's really hard to teach someone to care about their work. But how do you find these amazing people? Here are a few tips: 1. Look for passion: Find people who are genuinely excited about your company and what you do. They'll be more motivated to learn and grow with you. 2. Assess their attitude: Ask questions that help you gauge their attitude and work ethic. Look for people who are positive, proactive, and willing to go the extra mile. 3. Check their character: Look for people who are honest, reliable, and have a strong sense of integrity. These are the people you want on your team. 4. Consider their potential: Don't just look at their current skills and experience. Think about their potential and how they could grow with your company. These are the people you want working in your company. Do you agree? ♻️ Share this message to encourage more companies to hire this way! And follow Andrew Lokenauth for more LinkedIn content like this!

Stop trying to attract tech talent with ping pong tables. After hundreds of interviews with top tech professionals, I can tell you what actually matters: 👉 Meaningful impact on real problems 👉 Clear growth trajectories 👉 Autonomy with accountability Tech talent wants to know: "Can I make an impact here?" "Will my work matter?" "Can I grow without leaving?" The perks that grab headlines are rarely what retain exceptional people. Companies spend thousands upgrading break rooms when they should be upgrading their communication about company impact. Try this instead: 1. Document and share specific examples of how technical work affected business outcomes 2. Create transparent growth frameworks that don't require moving into management 3. Give ownership, not just tasks - let people solve problems, not just implement solutions Your most powerful recruiting tool isn't your benefits package - it's your existing talent telling authentic stories about their impact. What's the most meaningful aspect of your company culture that attracts top talent? The answer might surprise you. #TechRecruitment #TalentRetention #MeaningfulWork #TechCulture #CareerGrowth

Candidates often express a critical perception about recruiters - "Recruiters don't care about me." Whether you are an in-house recruiter, talent acquisition professional, or a third-party recruiter, candidates feel you only care about filling a job, not about what is most important to them. To avoid proving them right, it's essential to conduct a broader, general interview to understand what must be in place for them to make a move. Great talent isn’t just looking for another job; they’re seeking the right career move that aligns with their professional and personal goals. Here are some actions to show candidates that you genuinely care during interviews: - Avoid pitching a job too quickly or focusing solely on a single opportunity. - Understand what matters most to the candidate for their next career step. - Never assume a candidate's current role reflects their desired future path. - Acknowledge and leverage both soft and hard skills of every candidate. - Always ask, "Is there anything about you that we haven't addressed that you want to share?" to uncover their priorities. By demonstrating your genuine interest in their aspirations, you differentiate yourself from other recruiters, increase referrals, and foster engagement and retention. Share your strategies for showing care during interviews to learn from each other!

Yesterday I wrote a hiring post that got 50,000 impressions and generated dozens of applications Depending on how you want to look at it, this saved CoLab $1,700-$30,000+ Here's how you can do it too: First of all, the bar for hiring posts is LOW Most people just share a link to the role with the auto generated "I'm hiring! Know anyone who might be interested?" Do better than that and you're already ahead of 90% of people. Some tips: 1) A hiring post is a marketing exercise. Differentiate the job. I didn't post about just any AE role yesterday. I described the exact stage of growth that CoLab is in and why that might be ideal for our ideal candidate. I got lots of messages like "thanks for your candor" or "that really resonated with me" 2) Know your ICP. Yesterday, I was recruiting for sales. And I spoke directly to their pains: In small startups, there's often not enough pipeline. In big companies, you're a cog in the machine. The people that applied felt one of these pains in their current role (some of them even reached out and told me which one!) 3) Flex your copywriting skills! Cut the buzzwords. Make your post easy to read. Make the message clear. When a prospective candidate reads it, they should know immediately if they are the type of person you're looking for or not. 4) Check the boxes on social media best practice. Original content gets way more reach than re-sharing, so take the time to write something original. Engagement from other people will boost the post, so encourage it (not just from prospective applicants, but from anyone in your network that wants to see you succeed) Shout out to everyone who engaged with my post yesterday. I appreciate you! 5) Give when you can and take when you need to I've spent 4 years building in public and sharing insights with this community. That goodwill goes a long way when you need to make an ask -- Whether it's recruiting or searching for a job yourself. If you want to engage the top 1% of talent, you need to be in a recruiting mindset 24/7/365! #hiring #recruiting

I spent 30 years in the staffing industry, and if there's one thing I learned, it’s this: recruitment isn’t just about filling positions! It’s about finding the right fit for both candidates and companies. Let me share with you my top 5 actionable tips to transform your recruitment strategy starting today: Know Your Audience: Understand the industries you're hiring for inside out. The more familiar you are with their culture, values, and challenges, the better equipped you'll be to match candidates. Utilize Technology: AI tools can streamline your recruitment process immensely! From sifting through resumes to scheduling interviews—embrace tech to save time and boost efficiency. Prioritize Candidate Experience: Treat your candidates like customers! Provide clear communication throughout the process—no one likes being left in the dark! Leverage Social Media: Your best hires might just be a post away! Use platforms like LinkedIn creatively by sharing company culture, success stories, and engaging content to attract potential talent. Follow Up & Feedback: Always follow up with candidates post-interview—even if they don’t get the job. This builds trust and enhances your brand image! By implementing these strategies: → You’ll not only fill positions faster but also create lasting relationships within your industry! → Plus, happier candidates mean better referrals down the line! What strategies have you found effective in recruiting? Let’s share some wisdom in the comments below! #recruiter #recruitment #staffing #employment #TalentAcquisition #RPO

Skills can be taught—mindset cannot. Yet, we’re too obsessed with resumes, qualifications, and “relevant experience.” The best hires aren’t always the most experienced; they’re the most adaptable. - You can train someone to use software or manage workflows, but you can’t teach curiosity, resilience, or hunger to learn. - Hiring based on a checklist limits innovation. The best ideas come from those who challenge norms, not just those who “fit in.” - The best employees aren’t always the most qualified—they’re the ones willing to push past their limits when given a chance. - Lack of opportunity is a bigger issue than lack of experience. Many brilliant minds never get a shot simply because they don’t have the “right” background. - Culture isn’t built on perfect resumes. Passion, adaptability, and a growth mindset create a thriving workplace—not degrees. ✅ What companies should do instead: - Hire for attitude, train for skill. The eager learner will pick up the technical stuff, but a disengaged “expert” won’t. - Prioritize problem-solvers over experience. People who’ve figured things out before will do it again. - Bet on potential, not just past achievements. Five years of experience doesn’t mean five years of growth. Look for learning patterns, not just tenure. - Create space for learning, not just performing. A culture that values growth over perfection fosters long-term success. Great companies aren’t built by those who checked all the boxes from day one. They’re built by those who were given a shot—and proved why they deserved it. If this resonates, share it with your network. #Hiring #Leadership #Growt #Mindset