At ERE: Catching up with Chris Forman of AIRS - SmartBrief

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At ERE: Catching up with Chris Forman of AIRS

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Management

SmartBrief has a team at this week’s ERE’s Spring Expo in San Diego. At the conference kick-off, we talked to Chris Forman, president of AIRS, about two of the trends he has noticed in the recruiting industry during this economic downturn.

  • A challenge: When the economy sours, the first areas of a company that feel the pinch are marketing, training, and recruiting. Recruiting departments are being downsized and even dismantled, which leaves strong recruiters looking for jobs in new industries. The concern is that when things pick up, companies will be stuck trying to rebuild and grow their talent pools  — without the strong recruiting teams they once relied on.
  • A silver lining: Even when general recruiting budgets are slashed, diversity hiring budgets are remaining relatively strong. In a downturn, we see a continued focus on diversity in hiring. In the long term, this focus will translate into companies that look more and more like the clients and customers they serve.

Check back tomorrow for another update from ERE Spring Expo on SmartBlog on Workforce.