How would you hire Calacanis?

Hmmm, I loved Jason’s bid to get Amanda to come and join AOL/Netscape and his later tome on keeping talent happy.

That got me thinking about another tough management problem: recruitment.

I wonder how I could hire Jason. Let’s see, he already has millions of dollars. So, it’s gonna be tough to get him on money alone. If that tactic didn’t work with me, I doubt it’ll work on him. Anyway, let’s just say my salary cap is less than AOL’s is so a sheer money strategy won’t work and will probably blow up anyway.

Will sheer love and attention of him do it? Nah. Although it might help get a conversation started. Jason already knows Maryam and I love him. Why? Cause he’s fun to hang around with. His personality is a little over the top, yes, so it’s not for everyone, but I like people who say they are gonna change the world — and then do. When Gates and crew was recruiting people from Borland they sent limos to pick up candidates and take them and their families places. Attention does get noticed. Shel and I picked our book’s publisher at least in small part because they flew to Arizona to meet us and buy us lobster dinner.

How about the chance to be Scoble’s boss? Heheh. That could backfire. Last week someone came up to John Furrier and, upon learning that he worked at Podtech, said “oh, are you working for Scoble?” That seems to happen to a lot of my bosses. Jim Fawcette had that happen to him despite having his own name on the company he owned and ran.

What’s the Microsoft way to get people to work for you who you can’t afford? Get big enough to buy their company. Hmmm, if that happens the last thing I’ll need to worry about is recruiting Calacanis. 🙂

Working with smart people? Yeah, the Stanford University Student Body President is interning with us this summer (seriously! You’ll get to meet her later in the summer) but I bet that won’t get Jason interested. There are lots of smart people at AOL (despite what most of the elitist geeks think about AOL).

How about California’s weather? Possibly, but then he’ll probably bring up that a house like what he lives in is four times more expensive and the schools aren’t as good.

California’s non-smoking and clean-living lifestyle? Possibly, but then he’ll bring up traffic on the 101 and ask whether PodTech has a shuttle from San Francisco like Google does.

Matt Mullenweg, Stewart Butterfield, and Dave Winer only an hour away? Now we’re getting somewhere. That’s something he doesn’t have.

Free passes to Google’s cafeteria? Sssshhhhh, I can’t arrange those until Vic gets his job in a year. Heheh. Just kidding Vic!

A dumptruck load of stock options? Yeah! But then I bet he has a dumptruck of Time Warner stock anyway.

So, how do you recruit a guy who has everything when you have limited resources?

How did Steve Jobs recruit John Sculley (remember, back then John headed Pepsi and Apple was a struggling computer maker). “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?”

Hmmm, does Jason want to sell Web portals for the rest of his life or does he want to change the world of media? Again?

How do you recruit people you really want to work for you (or who you want to work for?)

Update: speaking of recruiting, the JobsBloggers, Gretchen and Zoe, (who used to work at Microsoft too) are on Jim Stroud’s Recruiters’ Lounge podcast. I wonder what they’d think of this topic?

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30 thoughts on “How would you hire Calacanis?

  1. Oh great question. I hope this one gets loads of replys. I on the other hand have no idea.

    Good attitudes help a lot, decent money and working environment help.

    However in the end most people choose by interest if they dont need to choose by necessity.

    I’d fall for the changing the world pitch. It would get my adrenal and work drive going, but it wouldn’t work if my work was currently very chalenging.

    Hmm changing the world. Anyone doing that in Ireland? *grin* Nah my current workplace is great.

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  2. Oh great question. I hope this one gets loads of replys. I on the other hand have no idea.

    Good attitudes help a lot, decent money and working environment help.

    However in the end most people choose by interest if they dont need to choose by necessity.

    I’d fall for the changing the world pitch. It would get my adrenal and work drive going, but it wouldn’t work if my work was currently very chalenging.

    Hmm changing the world. Anyone doing that in Ireland? *grin* Nah my current workplace is great.

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  3. Just posted on this as well:

    “Also, Calacanis’ move demonstrates not only social media’s role in terms of elevating one’s own personal stock price (getting a job), but also (and arguably more importantly) being in a position to offer a job, and thus attract talent.”

    http://www.jaffejuice.com/2006/07/rocketboom_or_r.html

    Also, here’s a piece I wrote on Talent Zoo titled, “Weekdays at Bernies” – which talks about the other side of the coin, retention: http://www.talentzoo.com/content/guestcolumnist/article/212.aspx

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  4. Just posted on this as well:

    “Also, Calacanis’ move demonstrates not only social media’s role in terms of elevating one’s own personal stock price (getting a job), but also (and arguably more importantly) being in a position to offer a job, and thus attract talent.”

    http://www.jaffejuice.com/2006/07/rocketboom_or_r.html

    Also, here’s a piece I wrote on Talent Zoo titled, “Weekdays at Bernies” – which talks about the other side of the coin, retention: http://www.talentzoo.com/content/guestcolumnist/article/212.aspx

    Like

  5. You wait until Time Warner fires him and THEN you pick him up. Set up an exclusive placement contract RFN with ANY talent you see (Pirillo, Curry, et etc). Know what makes THEM tick before you ask for boo. Might be something simple for you to deliver on like all they want it time to finish their Masters or PHD. That way when THEY start looking/considering offers you’ll be the first to know and can make slots magically appear that are sugar coated just the right way. No one will be able to compete with your offers. Sneaky? Sure, but all the cool kids are doing it. Heheh.

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  6. You wait until Time Warner fires him and THEN you pick him up. Set up an exclusive placement contract RFN with ANY talent you see (Pirillo, Curry, et etc). Know what makes THEM tick before you ask for boo. Might be something simple for you to deliver on like all they want it time to finish their Masters or PHD. That way when THEY start looking/considering offers you’ll be the first to know and can make slots magically appear that are sugar coated just the right way. No one will be able to compete with your offers. Sneaky? Sure, but all the cool kids are doing it. Heheh.

    Like

  7. If you have a good company and you want to recruit talent, it can get complicated, because not all people are solely motivated by a bigger paycheck. The personality of the recruiter, profile of the company, benefits and the way that the company works will probably work for or against the recruitment process. You have to be reminded, that the recuiter in this process is almost like a headhunter, he has to woe the talent to make them come to his company. There are probably a lot of ways that that can be done, but honesty and a friendly attitude go a long way.

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  8. If you have a good company and you want to recruit talent, it can get complicated, because not all people are solely motivated by a bigger paycheck. The personality of the recruiter, profile of the company, benefits and the way that the company works will probably work for or against the recruitment process. You have to be reminded, that the recuiter in this process is almost like a headhunter, he has to woe the talent to make them come to his company. There are probably a lot of ways that that can be done, but honesty and a friendly attitude go a long way.

    Like

  9. For me working with a company or on a project is often the result of finding the ideas or ‘concept’ exciting, appealing and well spelled out.
    Money has its importance but it is not the only deciding factor.

    One might also start with a company that has a clear ‘vision’ and is succesful and then the company loses its sense of focus or its leadership or both and the ‘fun’ and desire to workk there evaporates.

    Serge
    Biz:
    http://www.njconcierges.com
    Blog:
    http://www.sergetheconcierge.com

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  10. For me working with a company or on a project is often the result of finding the ideas or ‘concept’ exciting, appealing and well spelled out.
    Money has its importance but it is not the only deciding factor.

    One might also start with a company that has a clear ‘vision’ and is succesful and then the company loses its sense of focus or its leadership or both and the ‘fun’ and desire to workk there evaporates.

    Serge
    Biz:
    http://www.njconcierges.com
    Blog:
    http://www.sergetheconcierge.com

    Like

  11. Not sure I agre with the “His personality is a little over the top” … a little, Robert?

    His open recruiting post to Amanda is brave, too bad it’s being backed by AOL.

    If you are serious and not just fishing, Scoble, I agree with comment #5 because either Jason resigns or is fired from AOL and I’d put that prediction within the next 12-24 months. They have a long history of screwing up things. Winamp, ICQ, anyone?

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  12. Not sure I agre with the “His personality is a little over the top” … a little, Robert?

    His open recruiting post to Amanda is brave, too bad it’s being backed by AOL.

    If you are serious and not just fishing, Scoble, I agree with comment #5 because either Jason resigns or is fired from AOL and I’d put that prediction within the next 12-24 months. They have a long history of screwing up things. Winamp, ICQ, anyone?

    Like

  13. Excellent question, Robert. I’ll put more thought to this and make it it’s own blog entry.

    I think the example you use with your publisher flying to Arizona and buying you dinner is a perfect illustration of how employers can win prospects over. In my experience, I’ve found that money, job content, location, etc, don’t matter nearly as much as personalized touches and demonstrating you and the company actually care about the person … not just their IP or manpower. On a large scale, it’s hard to implement. Some companies are doing it – but not nearly enough.

    Over at Electronic Recruiting News, John Sumser wrote a good diddy today about treating candidates like people: http://www.interbiznet.com/ern/archives/060706.html. He’s referring to employment websites, but that’s a huge problem across recruiting. Candidates are treated like commodities, and doing just little things go a long, long way.

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  14. Excellent question, Robert. I’ll put more thought to this and make it it’s own blog entry.

    I think the example you use with your publisher flying to Arizona and buying you dinner is a perfect illustration of how employers can win prospects over. In my experience, I’ve found that money, job content, location, etc, don’t matter nearly as much as personalized touches and demonstrating you and the company actually care about the person … not just their IP or manpower. On a large scale, it’s hard to implement. Some companies are doing it – but not nearly enough.

    Over at Electronic Recruiting News, John Sumser wrote a good diddy today about treating candidates like people: http://www.interbiznet.com/ern/archives/060706.html. He’s referring to employment websites, but that’s a huge problem across recruiting. Candidates are treated like commodities, and doing just little things go a long, long way.

    Like

  15. Interesting question that’s tough to answer because of the number of variables. What motivates one person may fall flat with another when it comes to recruiting. I’d feel strange if an employer was showering me with expensive dinners and gifts. One of the reasons my boss joined Microsoft was because they sent him wife a huge bouquet of flowers when she was in the hospital. So that stuff worked for him. For me, the money would have to be right and then I’d look at flexibility, how exciting would the job be and do I get to work alongside and learn from fun, smart and crazy people.

    Like

  16. Interesting question that’s tough to answer because of the number of variables. What motivates one person may fall flat with another when it comes to recruiting. I’d feel strange if an employer was showering me with expensive dinners and gifts. One of the reasons my boss joined Microsoft was because they sent him wife a huge bouquet of flowers when she was in the hospital. So that stuff worked for him. For me, the money would have to be right and then I’d look at flexibility, how exciting would the job be and do I get to work alongside and learn from fun, smart and crazy people.

    Like

  17. What would challenge Jason at this stage?

    Years ago, I was an international recruiter. The top items for changing are challenge and opportunity (in that order). So, what do you have that is challenging?

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  18. What would challenge Jason at this stage?

    Years ago, I was an international recruiter. The top items for changing are challenge and opportunity (in that order). So, what do you have that is challenging?

    Like

  19. This is easy. Hire someone of whom he does want to be the boss. You know, like some pretty, hugely popular, recently unemployed video podcaster like Amanda Congdon.

    Jack

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  20. This is easy. Hire someone of whom he does want to be the boss. You know, like some pretty, hugely popular, recently unemployed video podcaster like Amanda Congdon.

    Jack

    Like

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