Smart hiring managers and recruiters are always seeking an edge in terms of identifying the most talented prospective workers. Part of that involves looking in places where talent is underutilized or lies undiscovered -- and candidates with military experience often fall into this category.

Many of us are familiar with typical job interview questions that ask about your strengths and weaknesses. For obvious reasons, interviewers generally tend to shy away from controversial questions about political or religious beliefs. But a proposed new law in Iowa wanted to force some higher education workers to declare their political allegiance during the interview process. It was part of a legislative effort to ensure "partisan balance" in colleges and universities.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) had a huge impact on recruiting. Businesses with more than 50 employees, for example, were required to offer employees health insurance once the law was passed. This led many firms to reduce staffing levels or outsource work to contractors in order to avoid paying for group insurance.

Recruiting is a busy, fast-paced field that is both an art and a science. Since it involves people, there is always potential for human error. So you definitely don’t want to sabotage your efforts by making unnecessary mistakes.

An exceptionally talented workforce is the ultimate competitive advantage. But trying to achieve this solo, can be challenging.

Great recruiting campaigns are few and far between. But without a doubt, the ones that are exceptional are truly memorable and provide insights into what works and why.

Here are some lessons that can be gleaned […]