Posted on Tue, Oct 18, 2011
Post contributed by Barry Diamond. Follow Barry on Twitter @bddiamond
All kinds of people become nouns.
For example, the term maverick comes from Texan Samuel Maverick who refused to brand his cattle supposedly because he didn't want to cause them pain, but his neighbors thought he was just showing off an independent streak. French acrobat Jules Leotard didn’t just invent the art of the trapeze; he also lent his name to the skin-tight, one-piece outfit that allowed him to keep his limbs free while performing. And Jon Duns was well-respected for theology until his rivals took offense and said Dunce means someone dense. There is similar etymology surrounding Charles Boycott, James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, Henry Shrapnel, and Thomas Crapper.
All these people, for better or worse, have become enduring, not exactly as people, but as common nouns.
Currently, Recruitment Process Outsourcing has yet to experience this phenomena; however, I can imagine the day when:
- Marks will be synonymous with an innovative RPO program
- A company will use the Grimaldi to facilitate their RPO service provider selection process
- Someone will reference the Bucher to describe a flawless Recruitment Process Outsourcing implemenatation
RPO names becoming RPO nouns are inevitable. I’m just not sure what RPO personalities are going to be the lucky ones to be immortalized.
