... TOTO vocalist.

After looking at the Asia thread, I immediately thought of another group that plays a similar kind of music but does it much better, namely TOTO. This band was as Asia a gathering of very gifted artists, among which the late Jeff Porcaro, whom I place easily in my top 5 best drummers. The vocalists involved in Toto have all an amazing voice, and by launching this poll I was wondering who you would chose as your favourite TOTO vocalist. Mine is movie composer John Williams' son : Joseph Williams.

It is a well-known fact that fewer firms are hiring these days. And while most organizations have trimmed back their recruiting function to its barest bones, throughout corporate America there are recruiters still in their jobs, at their desks - bored to death.

While many are using this time to catch up on paperwork that never got completed, to research new tools, or to keep their sourcing database up to date, others are looking for things they can do to help ease the onslaught of need when their firm or industry recovers from its current state of slumber.

This is a listing of employment practices a recruiter might consider to fill their activity void, and help prepare for economic recovery:

Do a survey of all top employees and ask them why they accepted the job when they were hired. Also ask them what they think the top selling points of the firm currently are, and what might concern them if they were just joining the organization.

Do a survey of all candidates who rejected an offer in the past eighteen months to find out what the deciding factors were that led them to turn down your offer.

Review current customer roles to identify who might be interested in joining your organization at a later date, or who might serve as a good recruiting channel to reach others. Start developing the requisite relationships to use your customers in the recruiting process.

Develop a process and format to produce a periodic -mail newsletter that will keep potential candidates interested in your company and aware of current hot opportunities.

Review hires generated in the past eighteen months by collecting on-the-job performance data and manager satisfaction information. Combine this data with available information of source of hire to determine which sources produce the greatest performers.

Consider developing a trade-up program. Identify key roles in the organization, and make sure that no "available talent" currently supersedes the quality of your current incumbent.

Meet with senior functional leadership to learn which roles in the organization are mission critical, i.e. where a vacancy or delay in recruitment would cause critical organizational failures, such as delaying time to market or compromising product quality. Stop treating all jobs and functions as having equal importance.

Consider working with managers to develop short-term rotation programs that could make use of new college graduates or interns, which are available in large numbers at relatively low cost compared to contract labor.

Revisit referrals, and request that the original referrer update the information on the candidates they referred.

Develop pre-qualifying systems for internal candidates to increase the number of internal transfers and promotions. Work with whomever is responsible for succession planning to insure that either a replacement is available internally for all key positions or that an up-to-date source list is available.

Develop "personal courting" and relationship-building programs with potential recruits so that hiring processes are not just one time "flash" occurrences.

Realize one of the primary functions of recruitment and hiring is to build and reinforce the corporate image and culture as well as to increase corporate capabilities and productivity. Remember that recruiting is marketing, and all potential recruits are also potential customers.

Start forecasting the future (unemployment rates, the pool of qualified candidates, business cycles, the changing needs of your customers etc.) and stop just "reacting to requisitions" when they hit your desk.

Do internal customer satisfaction surveys to see what managers and applicants want more of and less of.

Identify how your employment practices differ from your direct competitors. You can't beat the competitor if you all do the same things the same way.

Drop forever the idea that recruitment and hiring must be face to face. Develop remote recruitment and hiring practices that are superior to face-to-face ones.

Develop metrics (in conjunction with the CFO) to identify and prove the business impacts of a great hire and the costs of a bad hire. Make hiring great employees your greatest corporate competitive advantage over your competition.

Consider creating "feeder channels" for future university hires. For example sponsor "learn to be a __________" training classes, student clubs, internships, "professor summer internships" and short-term professor/manager swap programs.

Research voluntary terminations in which an employee joined a direct competitor. Identify why they left and how their current situation differs from what they expected.

Drop or weaken employment "rules" and approvals to decrease your time to hire. Identify things that slow down the hiring process and that you can't prove make a difference (no you don't need a job description in order to hire someone, etc.).

Develop a referral program for non-employees (suppliers and customers, for example).

Conclusion
Who the f*ck cares about Toto, other than Dorothy?

I hate to agree with the Reedy one, but I don't understand why we would want a discussion on Toto in the Main Discussions area of a Progressive Rock forum.

Try the "Discussions not related to music" Forum...

(only kidding!)

No - the bit I was kidding about was the "I hate to disagree with the Reedy one" bit...

Think of anyone less prog than Motorhead?

Dollar,

Mud

Showaddyeffingwaddy

Some of these lot would argue that The Osmonds did Prog with Crazy Horses

Yes, they played guitars, keyboards and drums.

A member of the band died.

They split up.

are the forums always this hostile?

we're all so brave behind the safety of our computers. How is your bravery in public?

No - just Reedy.

Welcome to the site! - most people here are among the most sensitive, humourous and intelligent it has been my pleasure to share a discussion board with.

And then there's the Reed hims 'elf.

Note that I don't include myself among the "sensitive, humourous and intelligent", as I have the sensitivity of a Rhinoceros on speed...

Arioch wrote: are the forums always this hostile? we're all so brave behind the safety of our computers. How is your bravery in public?

Hostile?

How do you say in American:

"You Have No sense Of Humour"?

Reed Lover wrote: Yes, they played guitars, keyboards and drums. A member of the band died. They split up.

This is what passes for hostility these days!

Dont give me veiled threats from 3000 miles away.mind you it is what you Yanks are good at...

"The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range"

You have a natural tendency
To squeeze off a shot
You're good fun at parties
You wear the right masks
You're old but you still
Like a laugh in the locker room
You can't abide change
You're at home an the range
You opened your suitcase
Behind the old workings
To show off the magnum
You deafened the canyon
A comfort a friend
Only upstaged in the end
By the Uzi machine gun
Does the recoil remind you
Remind you of sex
Old man what the hell you gonna kill next
Old timer who you gonna kill next
I looked over Jordan and what did I see
Saw a U.S. Marine in a pile of debris
I swam in your pools
And lay under your palm trees
I looked in the eyes of the Indian
Who lay on the Federal Building steps
And through the range finder over the hill
I saw the frontline boys popping their pills
Sick of the mess they find
On their desert stage
And the bravery of being out of range
Yeah the question is vexed
Old man what the hell you gonna kill next
Old timer who you gonna kill next
Hey bartender over here
Two more shots
And two more beers
Sir turn up the TV sound
The war has started on the ground
Just love those laser guided bombs
They're really great
For righting wrongs
You hit the target
And win the game
From bars 3,000 miles away
3,000 miles away
We play the game
With the bravery of being out of range
We zap and maim
With the bravery of being out of range
We strafe the train
With the bravery of being out of range
We gained terrain
With the bravery of being out of range
With the bravery of being out of range
We play the game
With the bravery of being out of range

Reed Lover wrote: Reed Lover wrote: Yes, they played guitars, keyboards and drums. A member of the band died. They split up. This is what passes for hostility these days! Dont give me veiled threats from 3000 miles away.mind you it is what you Yanks are good at... "The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range" You have a natural tendency To squeeze off a shot You're good fun at parties You wear the right masks You're old but you still Like a laugh in the locker room You can't abide change You're at home an the range You opened your suitcase Behind the old workings To show off the magnum You deafened the canyon A comfort a friend Only upstaged in the end By the Uzi machine gun Does the recoil remind you Remind you of sex Old man what the hell you gonna kill next Old timer who you gonna kill next I looked over Jordan and what did I see Saw a U.S. Marine in a pile of debris I swam in your pools And lay under your palm trees I looked in the eyes of the Indian Who lay on the Federal Building steps And through the range finder over the hill I saw the frontline boys popping their pills Sick of the mess they find On their desert stage And the bravery of being out of range Yeah the question is vexed Old man what the hell you gonna kill next Old timer who you gonna kill next Hey bartender over here Two more shots And two more beers Sir turn up the TV sound The war has started on the ground Just love those laser guided bombs They're really great For righting wrongs You hit the target And win the game From bars 3,000 miles away 3,000 miles away We play the game With the bravery of being out of range We zap and maim With the bravery of being out of range We strafe the train With the bravery of being out of range We gained terrain With the bravery of being out of range With the bravery of being out of range We play the game With the bravery of being out of range

Funny Reed Lover, because that was the same song I was thinking about with your comments...Looks like we have something in common....We both like Roger Waters.

Building bridges Arioch, just building bridges

http://well-of-souls.com/index.html">

Nice meeting you guys.

I am not really much into chat line conversations

just bored and looked into out of curiosity.

I actually got referred here looking up info on Blackmore's Night.

Catch you later.....maybe!

why would anyone be looking for information on Blackmore's Night?

a bit like being curious about fungal foot infections