At Waste Management, CIO Puneet Bhasin takes recruiting seriously. Before anyone--from department head to entry-level business analyst--gets a job offer, the individual must go before a panel drawn from the IT leadership team. Bhasin himself is usually one of the panel members. It might only be a 10-minute discussion, but it gives those IT leaders a chance to meet the individual. Recruits are surprised to see the CIO or VP of IT making that commitment. "An entry level BA will say 'Jeez I can't believe you as a VP or you as a CIO are taking the time to talk to me personally about my experience and whether I'll be a fit for the organization," says Dave Logsdon, Waste Management VP of IT.

Recruits meet with a number of people one-on-one as well, all with the goal of making sure the person fits the organizational as well as the job specs. "We're looking for not just the right technical talent, but also the right cultural fit," Bhasin explains.

Bhasin is convinced he has a compelling pitch for recruits. He points to the 10 million tons of trash the company recycled last year as evidence it's helping the environment. He shows them IT's newly remodeled digs, with an open floor plan that's bathed in natural light. And tells them how IT is being used to truly transform Waste Management, with efforts such as using IT systems to drive pricing decisions to increasing use of mobile devices on trucks and containers. "Every technologist out there wants to work for a company that is using technology to transform its business. And I think we have a very genuine, very real, very strong story around that," Bhasin says.

Lesson for job seekers: Be ready to talk about the company's goals at the highest level. Could you handle an impromptu strategy chat with the CIO?