Anyone who has been around HR for any length of time will recognize the Johari Window. It is based on the idea that effective communications require a level playing field and lots of clarity. It starts from the assumption that people have differing mental maps of the world.

We've adapted the Johari Window to try to describe the power shifts in recruiting over the past several years.

The matrix is divided into four Quadrants:

• Quadrant A: The "Arena" - What Candidates and Recruiters both know

• Quadrant B: "Recruiter Leverage" - What Recruiters Know That Candidates Don't

• Quadrant C: "Candidate Leverage" - What Candidates Know That Recruiters Don't

• Quadrant D: The "Unknown" - Neither Party Knows

Candidates are the prime beneficiaries of the Internet. Candidate Leverage (Quadrant C) has increased dramatically over the past decade with:

• Ready availability of salary information

• Easy access to company information

• Detailed accounts of negative news about the company

• The ability to research products, relationships and partnerships

• Easy access to competitive options (other career opportunities)

Meanwhile, Recruiter Leverage (Quadrant B) has mostly shrunk. Candidate gains in leverage have come almost exclusively at the Recruiter's expense. Increases in productivity (based on the 'old model') have not given Recruiters the ability to keep pace with the shifts in Candidate Leverage. The result is a growing imbalance in the relationship between recruiter and candidate.

John Sumser