In my first year attending Burning Man there was no shortage of things that I learned about myself and both my own understanding, as well as the true concept of, communities. These revelations (and I don’t use that term lightly) and life lessons (nor that term) lend themselves to the work that we do at CXR every day. There is value in being part of a community that both recognizes and celebrates equally contribution and individuality. But in an age of Facebook groups, and Reddit channels, video chat, and rapid-fire instant messaging one thing continues to become more clear to me every day: There is no substitute for looking someone in the eye, sharing what excites us about the world we live in, and really getting to know each other.
That’s why our latest experiment in community is CXR Local, a series of local networking events for recruiters in various markets throughout North America. And we’re starting this little endeavor in California’s Silicon Valley.
[listen to Céleste Luzadder-Frick of Intuit talk with us about CXR Local | Bay Area]
A network is one of the most basic tools in a recruiter’s toolbox. You likely have networks for a variety of different roles and work hard to nurture and grow each of them. What about a network for your own professional development? We’ve heard time and time again from CXR Community members that it’s hard to find local talent acquisition professionals that you can call on when you need advice or input. Trust issues… lack of time… whatever the reason, too many TA professionals aren’t able to tap into local peers to build a reliable professional network of their own.
How do you build that professional network when your time is focused on candidate networks?
There’s the obvious choice of joining a professional association and while some of those are great, we know plenty of people who cringe at the thought of going to a monthly association meeting. (Particularly one that may or may not be focused on talent acquisition.) Some communities have small TA groups that are thriving such as the SourceCon Meetups we love so much and that is growing around the country. But what if you’re not a sourcer? Or maybe you’re new to your area and looking for other recruiters that can help you navigate an unfamiliar landscape without competition or other worries.
We’re experimenting with the idea of giving recruiters both a real-life AND digital space to relax, share and make connections. Specifically with recruiters who live and work near each other.
What is the CXR Local?
It’s a chance for recruiters to come together in a non-competitive environment. Share a few drinks & good food. Make some new friends. Learn something new. And, at the end of the night, walk away with some new contacts in your home base to whom you feel comfortable connecting and a FREE membership to a private networking group online. We are kicking off our first CXR Local event in the heart of Silicon Valley and have invited Intuit to kick off the fun with a TED-style talk about talent that we can all (quickly) raise a glass to as we get to know each other. We like to think of this event as real “social” networking. If you’re in the Bay Area and want to join in on the fun, grab a ticket now – space is limited.
