Viewpoint - Viewpoint

Occasionally,  I run across an overblown, holier than-thou statement  of what a sourcer should do.

I now suggest the reality:

The Sourcer’s Code of Ethics

Rule 001     Once you have their money,  you never give it back.

Rule 002     The best deal is the one that brings the most money.

Rule 003     Never spend more for information than you have to.

Rule 006     Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity.

Rule 007     Keep your ears open.

Rule 008     Small print leads to large risk.

Rule 009     Opportunity plus instinct equals money.

Rule 010     Greed is eternal.

Rule 011     Even if it's free, you can always buy it cheaper.

Rule 012     Anything worth doing is worth doing for money.

Rule 013     Anything worth doing is worth doing twice.

Rule 014     Keep your family close, keep your money closer.

Rule 016     A deal is a deal (until a better one comes along).

Rule 017     A contract is a contract is a contract - but only between Sourcers.

Rule 018     A Sourcer without clients is no Sourcer at all.

Rule 019     Satisfaction is not guaranteed.

Rule 020     Only give money to people you know you can steal from.

Rule 021     Never place friendship before money.

Rule 022     A wise Sourcer can hear money in the wind.

Rule 024     Money can't buy happiness, but you can sure have a blast renting it.

Rule 025     There's always a way out.

Rule 026     As the customers go, so goes the wise Sourcer.

Rule 027     There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.

Rule 028     Whisper your way to success.

Rule 029     What's in it for me?

Rule 031     Never make fun of a Sourcer’s mother. (Insult something s/he cares about, instead.)

Rule 033     It never hurts to suck up to the boss.

Rule 034     War is good for business.

Rule 035     Peace is good for business.

Rule 037     If it's free, take it and worry about hidden costs later.

Rule 039     Friendship is temporary; money is forever.

Rule 041     Money is its own reward.

Rule 042     What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine too.

Rule 044     Never confuse wisdom with luck.

Rule 045     Ambition knows no family.

Rule 046     Make your sourcing business easy to find.

Rule 047     Don't trust someone wearing a better suit than your own.

Rule 048     The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.

Rule 049     Everything is worth something to somebody.

Rule 050     Gratitude can bring on generosity.

Rule 051     Reward anyone who adds to your money so they will continue to do so.

Rule 052     Never ask when you can take.

Rule 057     Good customers are as rare as money; treasure them.

Rule 058     There is no substitute for success.

Rule 059     Free advice is seldom cheap.

Rule 060     Keep your lies consistent.

Rule 062     The riskier the search, the greater the money.

Rule 065     Win or lose, there's always beer.

Rule 068     Money will get you anything.

Rule 069     Sourcers are not responsible for the stupidity of other people.

Rule 072     Never trust your customers.

Rule 073     If it gets you money, sell your own mother.

Rule 075     Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of money.

Rule 076     Every once in a while, declare peace. "It confuses the hell out of your enemies."

Rule 077     It's better to swallow your pride than to lose your money.

Rule 078     When the going gets tough, the tough change the Code.

Rule 079     Beware of the Nerd’s greed for knowledge.

Rule 082     The more questionable theresults, the higher the price.

Rule 084     A friend is not a friend if s/he asks for a discount.

Rule 085     Never let the competition know what you're thinking.

Rule 087     A friend in need means three times the money.

Rule 089     Ask not what your money can do for you, ask what you can do for your money.

Rule 092     There are many paths to money.

Rule 093     Act without delay! The sharp knife cuts quickly.

Rule 095     Expand or die.

Rule 096     For every Rule, there is an equal and opposite Rule (except when there's not).

Rule 097     Enough... is never enough.

Rule 098     Everyone has their price.

Rule 099     Trust is the biggest liability of all.

Rule 100     If they take your first offer, you either asked too little or offered too much.

Rule 101     The only value of a collectible is what you can get somebody else to pay for it.

Rule 102     Nature decays, but money lasts forever.

Rule 103     Sleep can interfere with sourcing.

Rule 104     Faith moves mountains... (of candidates).

Rule 105     Don't trust anyone who trusts you.

Rule 106     There is no honor in poverty.

Rule 107     A warranty is valid only if they can find you.

Rule 109     Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.

Rule 111     Treat people in your debt like family, exploit them [ruthlessly].

Rule 115     The best contract always has a lot of fine print.

Rule 116     There's always a catch.

Rule 117     Everything is for sale, including friendship.

Rule 119     Never judge a customer by the size of his/her wallet (...sometimes good things come in small packages).

Rule 121     Everything is for sale, including friendship.

Rule 123     Even a blind man can recognize the glow of money.

Rule 125     You can't make a deal if you're dead.

Rule 126     Count it.

Rule 127     Stay neutral in conflict so that you can sell supplies to both sides.

Rule 135     Never trust a beneficiary.

Rule 141     Only fools pay retail.

Rule 142     There's no such thing as an unfair advantage.

Rule 143     Risk is part of the game... play it for all it's worth.

Rule 144     There's nothing wrong with charity...as long as it winds up in your pocket.

Rule 146     Necessity, n. The mother of invention. Money is the father.

Rule 152     A lie is a way to tell the truth to someone who doesn't know.

Rule 153     Sell the sizzle, not the steak.

Rule 162     Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit.

Rule 169     Competition and fair play are mutually exclusive.

Rule 171     Blood is thicker than water, and money is thicker than both.

Rule 172     Chances aren't what they used to be.

Rule 177     Know your enemies... but do business with them always.

Rule 181     Not even dishonesty can tarnish the shine of money.

Rule 188     A fool and his money is the best customer.

Rule 189     Let others keep their reputation. You keep their money.

Rule 190     Hear all, trust nothing.

Rule 191     A Sourcer waits to bid until his opponents have exhausted themselves.

Rule 192     Never cheat a client... unless you're sure you can get away with it.

Rule 194     It's always good business to know about new customers before they walk in your door.

Rule 200     If you're going to have to endure, make yourself comfortable.

Rule 202     The justification of profit is profit.

Rule 204     It takes a Sourcer to cheat a Sourcer.

Rule 208     Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer.

Rule 211     Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success... don't hesitate to step on them.

Rule 214     Never begin a business negotiation on an empty stomach.

Rule 216     Never gamble with a sociopath.

Rule 217     You can't free a fish from water.

Rule 218     Always know what you're buying.

Rule 219     Possession is 11/10 of the law.

Rule 223     Beware the Sourcer who doesn't make time for paperwork.

Rule 229     Money lasts longer than lust.

Rule 231     There's a sucker born every minute; be sure you're the first to find each one.

Rule 236     You can't buy fate.

Rule 239     Never be afraid to mislabel a product.

Rule 241     Never trust a hardworking employee.

Rule 242     More is good... all is better.

Rule 253     Alcohol is the lubricant of choice for a customer's stuck purse.

Rule 255     A Lexus is a luxury... a smart accountant, a necessity.

Rule 256     Accountants do not play the game; they only keep the score.

Rule 260     Life's not fair. How else would you make placements?

Rule 261     A wealthy person can afford anything except a conscience.

Rule 262     A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Rule 263     Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for money.

Rule 265     The customer is always right, (...until you get their cash).

Rule 266     When in doubt, lie.

Rule 267     If you believe it, they believe it.

Rule 270     In business deals, a good attorney can be almost as important as a calculator.

Rule 277     Anything worth fighting for is worth hiding from.

Rule 284     Deep down, everyone's a Sourcer.

Rule 285     No good deed ever goes unpunished.

Rule 299     Whenever you exploit someone, it never hurts to thank them. That way, it's easier to exploit them the next time.

The Unwritten Rule     When no appropriate Rule applies, make one up!

BIOGRAPHY

Keith D. Halperin, SPHR (Emeritus)
84 Hazelwood Avenue
San Francisco, California 94112 +1.415.586.8265 kdhalperin@sbcglobal.net

•Keith Halperin has worked in recruiting, placement, search, and research for highly diverse clients (from startups to Fortune 500 firms) throughout the San Francisco Bay Area since 1986.

•He conceived, designed, and implemented corporate recruiting strategies, and developed a white paper for a $70 million, 5-year NASA CS recruiting project.

•He developed the Recruiting Process Methodology, a comprehensive open-source roadmap of recruiting.

•He co-founded MyIPOJob job fairs for pre-IPO companies, and founded Recruitersforum http://www.recruitersforum.com/), an on-line job site for all types of recruiting positions.

•He possesses an aggressive commitment to client satisfaction.

Comments: