We recently announced that we’ll be hosting our 2015 Annual Meeting and Conference (DEAM15) in Indianapolis. I’m sure many of you are wondering, “Why would you want to have your conference in Indiana?” Of course, the easy answer is that Indianapolis is our hometown, but the truth is, it’s more than that. If you are familiar with the roots of online recruiting, they all lead back to the Circle City – and to our very own Executive Director, Bill Warren.
It all started in Indianapolis in 1992, when Warren founded Online Career Center (OCC), widely known as the very first online job board, therefore earning him recognition as the “Father of Online Recruiting”. In 1999, The Monster Board – a product of the Interactive Division of TMP Worldwide – merged with OCC to form Monster.com, creating a strong presence in Indianapolis.
Following the direction of this growing industry in the late 1990s, the former Vice President of Sales at OCC, Bruce Robbins, established the International Internet Recruiting Consultants (IIRC), a local online-only recruitment ad agency in Fishers, Indiana, a suburb just northeast of Indianapolis.
If you are a Member of DirectEmployers Association, you likely know the next milestone on this timeline. In 2001 Warren, at the behest of 12 reputable companies, established the Association in Indy to share best practices, create new industry standards, provide research, and develop and manage Internet-based systems and software for employers to increase efficiency and reduce recruiting costs. Today we have over 700 Member companies and continue to grow both in size and technology with your support.
Continuing our Indianapolis online recruitment history timeline, in 2003, IIRC changed its name to TruStar Talent Solutions (a client-focused talent acquisition solutions provider) and in 2005, was subsequently acquired by First Advantage (FADV), a technology company specializing in background screening. In 2013 the Recruiting Solutions Division of First Advantage purchased Findly, another online recruiting provider, where it continues operations in its Indianapolis office under the Findly name. Last year, Findly acquired the Bernard Hodes Group, a recruitment advertising company also with an office in our beautiful city.
Numerous other companies including Appendant Marketing Group and Avancos, as well as one of our partners, Beyond.com, have developed in the Indianapolis area as a direct result of its rich recruitment history. So what better place to have our conference? Join us for DEAM15 in Indianapolis, the heart of our industry!
Help shape the conference program and provide valuable insight for conference attendees. We’re currently accepting presentation proposals for DEAM15. Learn more or submit your proposal.
