Executive Research Association Webinar – “Back to Basics”

Heather Travis of The ERA has written a brief guest post about their recent annual webinar; held recently on the topic of “Back to Basics”.

The Agenda was: -

•    Overview of the misuse and over reliance on technology.
•    The difference between passive and proactive candidates.
•    The lost art of building relationships over the phone.
•    The top five reasons why the phone beats the internet every time.
•    How the world’s top recruiters are combining the usage of technology and traditional recruiting.

The webinar was split over a 2 day period, with c25 dialling in per day, the feedback we had was extremely positive and our survey has shown that 90% of attendees would be happy to attend ERA webinars in the future. Webinars are an easy solution for an Association who has members spread across Europe, there is no travel involved with attendees able to sit in the comfort of their office surroundings with minimal technical experience required.

A high proportion of attendees found it confirmed their existing views that there is no substitute for the telephone; it was thought provoking in the sense of a gentle reminder of how not to forget the basics in the research profession.

“Five Top Tips”
•    There is a growing level of call reluctance and the telephone is as relevant today as ever, there is no substitute for it.
•    Do not rely solely on LinkedIn, the passive talent/candidates will be missed.
•    Be aware of the “internet savvy candidates”.
•    By having a telephone conversation you can gain insight and emotional intelligence not just information.
•    The most common communication strategies (in no particular order) are; social networking sites, text messages, blogs, emails, twitter, micro sites, voicemail, job boards and career webinars.

For further information about becoming a member, future events or finding a suitable researcher for any search requirements visit www.theera.org or find The ERA on Twitter or phone 01442 828846