Toolkit
Addition
ToolKit:
Floating Windows
It sounds
odd. At first we thought it was just another gimmick--perhaps not
as dangerous to our PCs as Microsoft's IE 4.0, but nevertheless,
we wondered what good it could be.
We forgot
about the little floating window and it quietly minimized itself
on the task bar.
In error
we clicked it, thinking we were opening another window that had
the search engine in it.
Little floating
windows have their place.
Super Search
is sponsored by Web Scout, a veritable treasure
trove of information. Their little window is a benign form of push
technology that brings you nothing unless you ask.
However,
when you're ready to ask, it's right there, ready and waiting.
The floating
window is a mega search tool that follows you around allowing you
to search wherever you are, in the midst of whichever labyrinth-like
site. There are only two boxes in the window. One allows you to
enter your search term(s); the other is a pull-down menu with 30
choices.
Of course,
the top search engines are included in the menu, but so too are
dictionaries, FAQ finders, travel information and the ubiquitous
sports news.
Is a floating
window an essential? Of course not. It's just another one of many
tools that can save a few clicks, a few seconds, and make part of
a day a bit easier.
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Search Tips
Search Tip:
Be Found
Sue Smith,
Chief Executive of the The Institute
of Employment Consultants, says:
"It
is still the people who will always make the difference to how well
a recruitment assignment is handled but technology can make the
process quicker and more effective in reaching a successful conclusion."
This cannot
be overemphasized. Technology adds speed, widens your target market,
offers innovative aid in finding new recruits. But an over-reliance
on it spells disaster.
Take a look
at one of IEC's latest survey results:
"The
major complaint against voicemail was its efficiency in stopping
the caller getting through to decision-makers - 'more effective
than the secretary'".
Do you use
voice mail? When a prospect calls you, do they get you? Or, do they
listen to a monotonous voice spouting a list of numbers to press?
Can they get through to you?
The last
time we looked, people still preferred speaking to a human than
a machine. Of course, email, online applications, and even video
conference interviews have their place. So, too, does the human
voice.
Yes, it takes
time to answer the phone. It takes time to listen rather than skim
a few lines. It takes time to understand questions that are implied
in those that are asked. But careful use of this time also forges
connections--one that no amount of technology is yet able to achieve
and maintain.
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