To that end, I’d like to share with you some of the things you can use ChatGPT for today to help you become a more efficient TA professional. First, it is important to understand what exactly ChatGPT is.

In its own words: “ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI. It is a type of machine learning model that has been trained on a large dataset of human-generated text, and is able to generate text in a similar style. It can be used for a variety of natural language processing tasks, such as language translation, text summarization, and text generation. ChatGPT can be fine-tuned to specific tasks or domains, and can also be integrated into other applications, such as chatbots or virtual assistants.”

It is important to note that while it is free for individual users, the tool itself is not free. However, only businesses using the API to make a large volume of calls will pay, and even then the cost is nominal, but it is important to note that it is not a free tool.

Because you have a million things going on you probably missed that Microsoft has recently announced 10 billion additional investments into the company. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was recently interviewed by Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief, Matt Murray at the World Economic Forum and indicated that Open AI would be included in all Microsoft products going forward. He had a lot to say about the future of knowledge work as well. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a view.

If you have yet to check it out, you can start here. Log in with your Google account or create a new one. I’ve always believed more in show than tell, so without further ado, here are some of the ways to use ChatGPT in your work today.

1. Write an Outreach Email

Now that didn’t seem too… impressive to me. It seems like this is a standard outreach email, and that is the beauty and trick of using ChatGPT effectively. As a best practice, I recommend including three things when you ask ChatGPT-3 to write for you.

One specific, what you want to write, in this case, an outreach email to a python developer. There are two other things that you can ask the AI to do when you get it to write for you. You can also specify the length and “voice.”  While the above email seems generic and plain one extra command can make a difference. Interestingly it can remember what you asked previously, so I added the following command next.

You can tweak and change the email as you want. The interesting thing is that ChatGPT understands things like making it shorter, making it lighthearted, in the voice of Einstein, etc. The only limit is your imagination. I’ve even asked it to write emails in iambic pentameter.

2. Develop a Resume Summary

I put the entire text of my resume in the system, but I will not include the entire text here, within three seconds I had the following from ChatGPT-3:

3. Write Up a Candidate Pitch

The chat also remembers the last thing you asked, so once you have the candidate summary you can use the AI to write the candidate pitch.

4. Write a Job Description

In the first prompt, I asked the system to write a job description for an Oncology RN,  then I asked the AI to modify it and make it shorter, and in the voice of Yoda, this was the outcome.

5. Write and Answer Interview Questions

Yeah, it’s that simple. See just how with this video tutorial.

6. Write a Boolean Search String

While not yet perfect it potentially saves time and requires only a few minor tweaks to be used. I for one am not going to miss out on creating extremely long search strings. The AI took about three seconds to generate this list.

The more specific you are in your request, the better the output will be. You can be prescriptive in what is produced. Some examples of phrases to use include:

• Use strong, persuasive language
• Ask questions between paragraphs
• Speak directly to the reader and make it personal
• Include a call-to-action
• Define the length (In 3 paragraphs, 256 words, shorter, etc.)
• As types of poetry (Sonnet, haiku, iambic pentameter)
• In the voice of, (Steve Jobs, a professional recruiter with 20 years of experience, Yoda)
• Set the tone (Make it funny, light-hearted, sarcastic, foreboding)
• Include or mention (“This specific thing”)

There are a number of good videos being produced on YouTube as well that share additional insights and use cases I strongly encourage you to spend 30 minutes in the next week looking at some of the material available.

Bonus Tip!

Sometimes ChatGPT refuses to cooperate and sometimes it is busy. The system will give you a clever message that the servers are busy and to check back later. When that happens, you can actually go directly to open AI’s playground. It doesn’t have the same restrictions and is much less likely to be unavailable due to traffic. It also allows you to make changes to the parameters that the system answers with.

Final Thoughts

ChatGPT is here to stay, and it is the first in what promises to be a host of AI and large language model tools. As many times in the past, I believe this new technology will change our industry. If you have been in this industry for more than two years, this has become a familiar cadence.

Like tools in the past, the best approach is to learn how to use them rather than to resist them. Undoubtedly we are at the beginning of a new age of AI-powered tools and as years of SCUBA diving have taught me, you can swim in the ocean, but you can’t change it. My advice for anyone reading this article is that it’s time to learn how to swim in the ocean, which is AI. We can’t change what is coming, all we can do is position ourselves as expert users.

The post 6 Ways to Use ChatGPT for Recruiting Today appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

Can You Define Talent Acquisition for Me

Sure! Talent acquisition is the process of finding and acquiring skilled workers for an organization. This can include activities such as recruiting, screening, and hiring employees. The goal of talent acquisition is to build a strong and capable workforce that can help the organization achieve its business objectives.

What Are 3 Applications for AI in Talent Acquisition?

There are many potential applications for AI in talent acquisition, but here are three examples:

1. 1. Recruitment: AI can be used to automate many of the tasks involved in recruiting, such as sourcing and screening candidates, scheduling interviews, and managing job postings. This can help organizations save time and resources, and enable them to find the best candidates more efficiently.
   2. Employee assessment: AI can be used to evaluate job candidates and provide insights about their suitability for a role. This can be done through the use of algorithms that analyze candidates’ resumes and other data, such as job performance reviews, to identify key skills and experiences.
   3. Retention: AI can be used to help organizations retain their top performers by providing personalized feedback and coaching. For example, AI can be used to monitor employee performance and provide recommendations for career development, helping to keep workers engaged and motivated.

Can You Give Me 3 Good Interview Questions to Ask a Python Developer During an Interview?

Sure, here are three good interview questions to ask a Python developer:

1. 1. Can you explain the difference between a tuple and a list in Python?
   2. How do you handle exceptions in Python? Can you provide an example?
   3. Can you explain the purpose of the “self” keyword in Python, and how it is used in method definitions?

These questions can help you evaluate a candidate’s knowledge of basic Python concepts, as well as their ability to think critically and problem-solve. It’s also a good idea to ask the candidate to write some code on a whiteboard or laptop to assess their practical skills.

Can You Give Me a Good Technical Interview Question for a Python Developer?

Here is a good technical interview question for a Python developer:

“Can you explain how Python’s garbage collector works, and how it affects the performance of a Python program? Can you provide an example of how you might use the garbage collector in your own code?”

This question tests the candidate’s knowledge of Python’s garbage collection system, which is an important aspect of the language’s performance and memory management. A good answer would explain how the garbage collector works, how it affects program performance, and provide an example of how to use it in code. This can help you evaluate the candidate’s technical expertise and problem-solving skills.

Can You Give Me a Good Technical Interview Question for a Python Developer?

Sure, here is another good technical interview question for a Python developer:

“How do you manage dependencies in a Python project, and why is this important? Can you provide an example of how you have implemented dependency management in a previous project?”

This question tests the candidate’s knowledge of dependency management in Python, which is an important aspect of developing and maintaining complex applications. A good answer would explain the importance of dependency management, describe a specific approach or tool that the candidate has used in the past, and provide an example of how it was implemented in a previous project. This can help you evaluate the candidate’s technical expertise and experience in Python development.

Can You Give Me 3 Examples of Things I Should Not Ask During an Interview?

It’s important to avoid asking certain types of questions during an interview, as they may be unlawful, discriminatory or simply inappropriate. Here are three examples of things that you should not ask during an interview:

1. 1. Questions about an applicant’s age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or other protected characteristics. These types of questions are unlawful under federal and state anti-discrimination laws, and can create a hostile or uncomfortable environment for the applicant.
   2. Questions about an applicant’s religious beliefs or practices. These types of questions are also unlawful under federal and state anti-discrimination laws, and can create a hostile or uncomfortable environment for the applicant.
   3. Questions about an applicant’s medical or health history. These types of questions are generally not relevant to the job, and can be seen as intrusive or inappropriate. Additionally, asking about medical or health information may violate federal and state laws that protect an individual’s privacy.

In general, it’s best to focus on questions that are directly related to the job requirements and the candidate’s ability to perform the tasks required. This will help you evaluate the candidate’s qualifications and experience in a fair and legal manner.

In Your Opinion, What Impact Will AI Have On Talent Acquisition?

It’s difficult to predict exactly what impact AI will have on talent acquisition, as it will likely depend on how it is used and the specific context in which it is applied. However, some possible impacts of AI on talent acquisition include:

• • Improved efficiency and speed: AI can automate many of the tasks involved in talent acquisition, such as sourcing and screening candidates, scheduling interviews and managing job postings. This can help organizations save time and resources, and enable them to find the best candidates more efficiently.
  • Enhanced decision making: AI can be used to analyze large amounts of data related to job candidates, such as resumes, job performance reviews and skills assessments. This can provide organizations with valuable insights and help them make more informed hiring decisions.
  • Improved candidate experience: AI can be used to provide a more personalized and engaging candidate experience. For example, AI-powered chatbots can be used to answer common questions and provide real-time feedback to candidates throughout the recruitment process.

Overall, the impact of AI on talent acquisition is likely to be significant, as it has the potential to improve many aspects of the process and help organizations build a stronger and more capable workforce.

How Would an AI Be Used Fairly to Screen a Candidate During a Job Interview?

AI can be used fairly to screen candidates during a job interview by following a few key principles:

1. 1. Ensure that the AI system is designed to be unbiased and fair. This means avoiding the use of data or algorithms that could potentially discriminate against certain groups of people.
   2. Use a diverse and representative data set to train the AI system. This will help ensure that the system can accurately evaluate candidates from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
   3. Regularly evaluate and test the AI system to ensure that it is working as intended and is not producing biased or unfair results.
   4. Provide transparency and accountability around the use of AI in the hiring process. This means clearly communicating to candidates how the AI system is being used, and providing them with an opportunity to challenge or appeal any decisions made by the system.

By following these principles, organizations can use AI to screen candidates in a fair and unbiased manner, and ensure that all job applicants are treated equitably throughout the hiring process.

Do You Think AI Could Make  Hiring Decisions in the Future Without Human Input?

It’s difficult to predict exactly how AI will be used in the future, but it is possible that it could be used to make hiring decisions without human input. However, there are several factors that could impact the extent to which this happens, including the availability of reliable and unbiased data, the development of advanced AI algorithms, and legal and ethical considerations.

It’s important to remember that AI is a tool, and it is ultimately up to humans to decide how it is used. Therefore, if AI is used to make hiring decisions in the future, it will be important to ensure that it is done in a responsible and transparent manner, and that it is subject to regular evaluation and oversight. This will help ensure that the use of AI in hiring is fair, unbiased, and aligned with the organization’s values and goals.

What Are Some of the Ethical and Legal Considerations of Using AI for a Job Interview?

There are several ethical and legal considerations that organizations should be aware of when using AI for a job interview. These include:

1. 1. Bias and fairness: AI systems can be trained on data that is biased or unrepresentative, which can result in unfair or discriminatory decisions. Organizations should be careful to avoid using biased data when training AI systems, and should regularly evaluate and test the systems to ensure that they are not producing biased results.
   2. Transparency and accountability: Organizations should be transparent about how AI is being used in the hiring process, and should provide candidates with an opportunity to challenge or appeal any decisions made by the AI system. This will help ensure that the use of AI is fair and accountable.
   3. Legal compliance: Organizations should ensure that their use of AI in the hiring process complies with all relevant laws and regulations, including anti-discrimination laws and privacy laws. This will help protect the rights of job applicants and prevent legal liabilities for the organization.

Overall, it’s important for organizations to carefully consider the ethical and legal implications of using AI in the hiring process, and to take steps to ensure that it is done in a responsible and transparent manner. This will help ensure that the use of AI is fair and beneficial to both the organization and job applicants.

The Current Time to Fill of a Job Is 42 Days on Average According to SHRM, How Much Time Could Using an AI Save in This Process?

It’s difficult to say exactly how much time using an AI could save in the job recruitment process, as it will depend on a variety of factors such as the complexity of the job, the size of the organization, and the quality of the AI system being used.

However, in general, AI has the potential to save time in many of the tasks involved in recruiting, such as sourcing and screening candidates, scheduling interviews, and managing job postings. By automating these tasks, AI can help organizations find the best candidates more efficiently and reduce the time it takes to fill a job.

For example, if an organization currently spends an average of 42 days to fill a job, using an AI could potentially reduce that time by automating some of the tasks involved in the process. However, the exact amount of time saved will depend on the specific circumstances of the organization and the AI system being used.

What Are Three Use Cases for AI in Talent Acquisition?

Here are three potential use cases for AI in talent acquisition:

1. 1. Automated resume screening: AI can be used to analyze resumes and other job application materials to identify candidates who are most likely to be a good fit for a particular role. This can help organizations save time and resources by quickly identifying and prioritizing the best candidates.
   2. Predictive hiring: AI can be used to analyze data about job candidates, such as their skills, experience, and performance reviews, to predict their likelihood of success in a particular role. This can help organizations make more informed hiring decisions and improve the overall quality of their workforce.
   3. Candidate engagement: AI can be used to provide personalized and engaging experiences for job candidates throughout the recruitment process. For example, AI-powered chatbots can be used to answer common questions and provide real-time feedback to candidates, helping to keep them engaged and motivated.

Overall, AI has the potential to improve many aspects of the talent acquisition process, from identifying and assessing candidates to engaging and retaining top performers.

How Could an AI Be Used to Source Passive Candidates for a Job?

An AI could be used to source passive candidates for a job by using algorithms to analyze data about potential candidates, such as their skills, experience, and professional networks. This can help identify individuals who may be a good fit for a particular role, even if they are not actively looking for a job.

For example, an AI system could be trained on data about job requirements, industry trends, and the skills and experiences of successful candidates. The system could then use this data to search for potential candidates who match the desired profile, and identify individuals who may be interested in the job but are not actively looking for new opportunities.

The AI system could then contact these potential candidates and provide them with information about the job and the organization, and encourage them to apply or learn more about the opportunity. This can help organizations find and engage with passive candidates who may not be easily identifiable through traditional recruitment methods.

Write a Short Example of Outreach to a Potential Candidate About a Software Engineering Job

Here is a short example of outreach to a potential candidate about a software engineering job:

Dear [Candidate],

We came across your profile and noticed that you have experience in software engineering and a strong background in [relevant technologies]. We are currently looking for a software engineer to join our team at [Company], and we think you may be a good fit for the role.

At [Company], we are working on exciting projects that use [relevant technologies] to [achieve business objectives]. Our team is made up of talented and passionate engineers who are dedicated to [achieving company mission].

We would love to learn more about your experience and see if there may be an opportunity for you at [Company]. If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Best regards, [Your name] [Your contact information]

What Are the 3 Technologies That Will Make the Most Change in Talent Acquisition?

It’s difficult to predict exactly which technologies will have the most impact on talent acquisition, as the field is constantly evolving and new technologies are being developed all the time. However, here are three technologies that could potentially make significant changes in the field:

1. 1. Artificial intelligence (AI): AI has the potential to automate many of the tasks involved in talent acquisition, such as sourcing and screening candidates, scheduling interviews, and managing job postings. This can help organizations save time and resources, and enable them to find the best candidates more efficiently.
   2. Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR): VR and AR technologies can be used to provide immersive and engaging experiences for job candidates, such as virtual job interviews or simulations of the work environment. This can help organizations provide a more personalized and engaging candidate experience, and give candidates a better idea of what it would be like to work at the organization.
   3. Blockchain: Blockchain technology can be used to create decentralized and secure systems for storing and sharing data about job candidates, such as their resumes, skills, and experiences. This can help organizations maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date database of potential candidates, and make it easier to share and access candidate information across different departments and teams.

Overall, these technologies have the potential to significantly change the way that talent acquisition is done, and can help organizations build a stronger and more capable workforce.

Should AI Be Allowed to Conduct Job Interviews either Now or in the Future?

Whether AI should be allowed to conduct job interviews is a complex and contentious issue, and there are many different perspectives on the matter. Some argue that AI can provide a more objective and unbiased approach to interviewing, and can help organizations identify the best candidates more efficiently. Others argue that AI lacks the empathy and human interaction that is essential to the hiring process, and that it could lead to unfair or discriminatory decisions.

In general, it’s important to consider the potential advantages and disadvantages of using AI in job interviews, and to weigh these against the organization’s goals and values. If an organization decides to use AI for interviewing, it should be done in a responsible and transparent manner, and should be subject to regular evaluation and oversight to ensure that it is fair and unbiased.

Overall, whether or not AI should be allowed to conduct job interviews is a decision that should be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific context and circumstances of the organization and the job candidates.

What Should a Company Consider Before Implementing an AI in Their Recruitment Process?

Before implementing an AI in their recruitment process, a company should consider several key factors, including:

1. 1. The goals and objectives of the organization: It’s important to carefully consider why the organization is considering using AI in the recruitment process, and how it aligns with the organization’s overall goals and objectives. This will help ensure that the use of AI is aligned with the organization’s strategic direction and priorities.
   2. The potential impact on candidates and employees: The use of AI in the recruitment process can have significant impacts on job candidates and existing employees, both positive and negative. It’s important to carefully consider these impacts, and to take steps to mitigate any potential negative effects.
   3. The availability of reliable and unbiased data: AI systems rely on data to make decisions and predictions, so it’s important to ensure that the data being used is reliable and unbiased. This will help ensure that the AI system is able to make fair and accurate decisions.
   4. Legal and ethical considerations: The use of AI in the recruitment process is subject to a variety of legal and ethical considerations, such as anti-discrimination laws and privacy laws. It’s important for organizations to carefully consider these considerations and ensure that their use of AI complies with all relevant laws and regulations.

Overall, it’s important for organizations to carefully consider these and other factors before implementing AI in their recruitment process, in order to ensure that it is done in a responsible and effective manner.

Can You Write Me a Job Advertisement for an RN With a Focus in Oncology?

Sure, here is a sample job advertisement for an RN with a focus in oncology:

Job Title: Oncology RN

Location: [City], [State]

We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Oncology RN to join our team at [Hospital]. In this role, you will provide care and support to patients with cancer, and work closely with a team of oncologists and other healthcare professionals to deliver high-quality care.

Responsibilities:

• • • Provide direct nursing care to patients with cancer, including administering medications, monitoring vital signs, and coordinating with other members of the healthcare team
    • Educate patients and their families about their condition, treatment options, and self-care
    • Collaborate with oncologists and other healthcare professionals to develop and implement individualized care plans for patients
    • Monitor patients for changes in condition and respond to any potential complications or emergencies
    • Participate in ongoing training and professional development to maintain and improve clinical skills and knowledge

Qualifications:

• • • Current RN license in [State]
    • Bachelor’s degree in Nursing or related field
    • At least 2 years of experience as an RN, with a focus on oncology
    • Knowledge of oncology nursing principles and practices
    • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

If you are a dedicated and caring RN with a passion for oncology, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity. Please submit your resume and

Thank You, This Has Been a Very Informative Discussion

You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help you. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m here to help!

The post My Interview With GPT-3 About the Future of AI in Talent Acquisition appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

During the interview the would-be farmhand was asked, “Why should I hire you to work on this farm?”  The prospective farm hand answered, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” The farmer not fully understanding the answer but in need of help and impressed by the confidence offered the job.

It is a favorite of mine because it’s really about recruiting, well, it’s not but it has recruiting in it.  There is a labor shortage you see, and hiring managers must get flexible. Wait, that wasn’t the analogy I was going for here, but admittedly, it kind of works.

A few nights after the young farmhand was hired, a storm rolled in.  The farmhand was expected to secure all of the doors with rope so they wouldn’t blow open and allow the animals to escape due to fear.

When the owner of the farm went to the barn, he found the barn doors had already been tied shut. The farm hand slept through the night.   

So what does this have to do with talent acquisition and TA leadership? Everything. The one constant in talent acquisition is change. So how do we build solid and consistently high producing teams when the only thing that is constant is change.

The answer: we create our own good habits, stability and culture. 

As a TA leader here are some habits I suggest you adopt so when the storms come, and they will, you won’t lose your sleep over it. 

Trust

The first thing you want to do is to let your partners know you trust them. You trust their work and judgement. If you are in TA leadership, it is the most important thing you can do, in my opinion. Start the relationship by telling your team and your partners you trust them. In leadership, I give the following as an example of the type of relationship I am trying to establish.  

Train

For our team, we take turns giving Ted Talk-style trainings on a variety of subjects relevant to talent acquisition. Every week someone on the team has a chance to share what they know on a subject we deal with on a regular basis.

Tell

Tell the story of what you have accomplished. Tell it with data. Make time in your syncs, meetings and touch bases. Make time to call out accomplishments. Give each other time to celebrate your successes as an individual and as a team.  

If you are in TA leadership, tell the team what they accomplished. Maybe even tell them you are proud of them. I tell anyone who works for me, “Praise in public, Correct in private.”  When your team does something good, shout it to the rooftops. 

 When mistakes are made, talk about them in private, do not CC and BCC the entire universe. I remember my grandmother had a plaque on her bookcase, it read, “When I do something right, no one notices, when I do something wrong, no one forgets.”  

Treat

Treat people as if they are already the person you hope they can be and they will rise to the challenge. When you share your positive feedback with your team, it also allows you to build towards a shared narrative. For me, that narrative has been about being the best. 

I’ve previously stated that I think sourcers are the special forces of TA (The War for Talent). I use that narrative #sourcingteamsix. As a TA leader, ask your team about their career and their aspirations. Then, it is up to you to show them how to get where they are going, but first, share the expectations of the role they are seeking.  

Start treating them as if they are already the person you and they hope to be and they will become. They may not be in senior leadership today, but they are a senior in training. The “as if principle” helps them to start thinking that way too.

Task

If you want something done right, let the people who are experts do it. Try to help but at a minimum, stay out of the way. It is a tell-tale sign of a micromanager who says, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” 

If the people you have assigned to a task are not doing it, it is up to you to decipher why. Do they not understand the task or are they simply not motivated to do what you ask because they don’t see the reason? If you want something done right, train your team, tell them why and support them in any way you can. I know it’s not quiet or catchy, but it is much more effective. 

Team

Your career is your business, treat it as such. Make business decisions. Sometimes there is a temptation to use family as analogy for our work. It can feel that way, it is very personal and what we dedicate a lot of our waking time and energy to. I find it helpful to think of work as a team sport. Teams, not families are responsible for some of humanity’s greatest achievements. 

 A team put humans on the moon, a team builds a ship, a team wins a championship. Teams do most of the important work in the world. Do not underestimate the power and value of being on a good team.

But like any other professional on any team, sometimes, it’s okay to be part of a new team. Don’t be afraid to change. It was Drawing Afterall who observed, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor is it the most intelligent species that survives, it is the species that is most adaptable to change.” 

So why listen to any of this about TA leadership? In twelve months, I had zero turnover. My team had over fifty, $350,000 offers accepted. We increased every diversity of offer across the board. Additionally, the two seniors on the team were promoted to management. 

If you do the extra work and follow these principles, you will be able to sleep when the wind blows. You will have created an environment that can adapt to changing conditions because the foundation is built on trust against a framework of competence. 

It will not matter if there are hiring blitzes or hiring freezes. You will be able to know that everything you need is ready whenever you need it, and as you know by now, few things are more beautiful then being able to sleep when the winds blow. 

The post “I Can Sleep when the Wind Blows,” Lessons in TA Leadership appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

What is the new normal and when will we get there?  The short answer: we are already there.  The long answer is below.

So what has changed and what changed it?  The first thing that changed is that there is a massive increase in the demand for labor.  Let me put some numbers around it.  In 2012 most of us would have considered the job market and the economy in general to have performed well. 

We started 2012 with 3.9 million open jobs.  By the start of 2019 that number had grown to 7.4 million. Almost 4 million new jobs were created in that time period.

*First line 10 year trend line, 2^nd line 2 year trend line

By contrast we started 2022 with 11.3 million open jobs. Almost 4 million jobs have been created in the last 2 years.  We also started 2022 back to pre-pandemic unemployment levels. As of this writing unemployment sits at 3.8%. This should give you some context around the type of growth we have experienced.  

What then is driving this growth and what does it mean to us as sourcers and recruiters? There are a number of factors that are causing the growth in demand we are seeing in the market.  Many of them are long-term drivers. 

That means, the pattern we see today is likely to continue, even COVID hasn’t changed the overall direction of the demand for labor.  If anything, it has accelerated the demand for labor.  We see that in the overall increase in the number of jobs. So let’s dive into the numbers and see if we can understand what exactly is driving the new normal. 

Economic Recovery: There is 2 trillion dollars more in Americans’ savings accounts now than in 2020.  Now that the economy has recovered, Americans are spending not saving again.  People are buying cars again, going on vacations again and buying things that they couldn’t during the pandemic. This spending spree is one of the under-reported drivers of the current economic growth. 

Organic Growth:  The pandemic stopped some things from happening that were commercially viable but required too much in-person work to make real progress during a pandemic. Travelers insurance just issued guidelines on how to safely bring construction sites back online that have been closed due to the pandemic.  Many construction projects have now restarted, thus driving the demand for jobs.

The Move to Renewables: The Department of Energy  released a report saying that more than 50% of new energy production in the US will be solar with an additional 17% as wind.  This is because renewables are less expensive now than other options. The economics of renewables means that moving forward, more and more renewable capacity will come online. 

The recent global events are going to accelerate this trend. Energy independence will become a national security issue, not just an economic one. Look for the pace of this adoption to increase now globally.

Here is a partial list of new renewable energy investments that have been announced. 

The Move to Electric Vehicles:  Tesla is already the most valuable car manufacturer in history, once valued at over 1 trillion dollars.  GM and Ford have announced they will stop making gas-powered cars by 2025 at the latest.

The impact of this change cannot be overstated. Now that renewables are sure to be the future of energy generation, the move toward electric cars will only accelerate. This is a huge driver of the economy.  Everything from supply chains to charging stations, to billions of cars and trucks have to be created, built and integrated.  This is a long-term project that will cost trillions of dollars and take years of time.

There is a secondary impact of this change.  Costs will drop.  Currently, on average, a full tank of gas costs around $50 in the US. Compare that with the $7.50 it would cost to recharge an electric vehicle and the savings across an entire economy start to become obvious.  Additionally, electric motors will run much longer and require less maintenance than your current gas-powered car. 

A gas-powered car will run for about 200,000 miles if you take care of it.  There is no reason an electric motor won’t last a million.  After all, when is the last time you turned off your refrigerator for maintenance? Most of the things you use every day are powered by electric motors. Your dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, TV, computer, nearly everything else in the modern world is run by electric motors.  This is the end of the industrial revolution as cars too, will now be powered by electric motors. 

Government Spending:  The US government passed “The Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act,” a 2 trillion dollar spending bill.  The projects are focused on infrastructure: building roads, fixing bridges, replacing water pipes, building electric charging stations, additional investment in renewable energy, high speed internet infrastructure, upgrades to airports and ports. These are long-term projects that translates into millions of jobs. The first of these jobs are starting to hit the market. There are going to be a lot of these jobs for the next 10 years.

So what does this mean for us? It means that we are experiencing the beginning of a new normal. In November 2021, 4 million people voluntarily quit their jobs.  We are experiencing the first true candidate market. From this point forward, online applications will drop for most companies. To meet their needs, companies are going to increasingly rely on sourcing or outbound recruiting.  

We are used to seeing commercials on TV where there are people crowded in a lobby waiting for an interview.  In the future, the candidate will be in the office and representatives of different companies will be waiting in the lobby. There has been a fundamental shift in the balance of power. 

In the first 24 hours of January 2022, 8,000 recruiter jobs were posted LinkedIn. Look for companies to start hiring the sourcing capacity.  The competition for talent in tech, AI, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing are at record highs and will continue to increase. 

The post Sourcing is the New Engineering appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

“Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

I was fortunate to work for Nielsen for a few years, and I got to listen to David Kenny, the  CEO, speak several times. He is someone I paid attention to. He’s progressive, he assumed responsibility for diversity as chief diversity officer.

He wears loafers and socks with printed pictures, he speaks inspirationally and he taught me something I didn’t like — something I probably couldn’t have heard from someone else. He taught me, “business is war.” 

To be clear, I’m not a fan of war. I have an actual peace symbol tattoo. I also think what we do is as much like war as a street brawl is to an atomic detonation. However, for the sake of the point let’s talk about the part of the business war that is focused on talent. Let’s examine the lessons of war and apply them for peace. 

If you are in a war for talent and you do not know where your enemy is, how strong they are and what type they are, any “disruptive strategy” is really just a dressed-up Leeroy Jenkins. You and your team know this.

The wording manifests differently because we typically don’t think of our job in those terms. We hear things like, our strategy is “post and pray,” or “It’s a numbers game” (spoiler alert, it’s only a numbers game for the house).

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” 

–Sun Tzu

Crossing the Delaware

When one pictures the American military, there is often an image of pristine order and cleanliness. Barracks with bunks perfectly made, boots polished, floor cleaned, uniforms perfectly uniform. But that was not always the case.

In January of 1778 Baron Von Stuben arrived from France to the campsite of the American Continental Army with the recommendation of Benjamin Franklin. George Washington put him in charge of training the army and organizing the camp. To say it was in ruins and disorder would be a grave disservice to the term “gift for understatement.”

Yelling in German and French with translation help from a handful of officers, Von Stuben began teaching the Americans how to march and shoot and fight. But more importantly, he taught the Americans how to set up camp, dig latrines, wash their hands, clean their clothes and keep the camp clean. He created the “Blue Book” for military organization. Parts of this manual are still in use by the American military today, over 200 years later.  

His troops, at first, were hesitant to take his instructions in order seriously. They did not think that learning how to set up tents in a row and wash their hands was the way to win a war. Von Stuben knew that the greatest threat to an army was not the enemy or the weather, but disease.

He taught his troops what every great coach does: You play how you practice. 

By December 1778, the army was ready. In less than a year Von Stuben turned 7,000 volunteers, living in abject squalor and disease, into a fighting force that successfully executed a sneak attack against a more experienced army. Washington may have commanded the army, but it was Baron Friedrich Vilhelm von Steuben who built it. 

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”

– Sun Tzu 

With the army now trained and disciplined, on December 24, 1778 George Washington crossed the Delaware and into history.  

The Lesson

How does this relate to our situation today? It’s simple. If we are going to continue to use the analogy of war, then we need to understand the different roles. To do otherwise would be to play chess without knowing how the pieces move. 

Order of Battle

• Sourcers = Special Forces
• Recruiters = Infantry 
• Marketing = Artillery
• Labor Market Analytics = Military Intelligence
• Hiring Managers = Calvary
• Social Media Team = Air Force 
• TA PM = Logistics 

Once we know how many and what kind of resources we have, we can now understand what our army looks like.

• How well trained and equipped are your forces? 
• Does your military intelligence provide you with a battlefield map, weather conditions and an update on enemy movements?
• Does your infantry know how to march, move and fight together?
• Can you call in the cavalry?
• Do you know how and when you should? 
• Do you have close air support?

Sun Tzu would call this the knowing yourself part. If you do not know yourself, you have no chance of winning a battle. If you feel like you are never winning or only winning by luck, this is why. 

The Battle of Midway: June 1942

“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”

-Sun Tzu

In June 1942 The American Admiral Chester Nimitz faced off against the Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in what was to be a turning point in World War II.

Yamamoto was moving to invade Midway island in the Pacific. He expected little resistance. He believed the Americans had two operational aircraft carriers, while he had four. Additionally, Midway was a minor outpost with only a handful of outdated planes. It had no reason to expect an attack.

Yamamoto had been educated at Harvard, traveled throughout the U.S., and spoke English fluently. He knew his enemy well and had made his plans accordingly. Finally, his intelligence reported the remaining American carriers to be several thousand miles away. 

The truth was that the United States had broken the Japanese communications codes sometime earlier and had managed to keep that fact a secret.  

In June 1942, before the first shot had been fired, Nimitz had a massive advantage. His intelligence officers were able to read enemy communication in near real-time. He knew what Yamamoto was planning. He had also read Sun Tzu.

He knew how many and what kinds of ships he had, he knew where he was coming from and about when he would arrive.  

Nimitz sent orders and ships to make it look like he was sending his carrier fleet away from Midway. But this was a deception. Nimitz had an additional ace up his sleeve: the USS Yorktown. This aircraft carrier had been damaged in battle earlier in the war and was believed by the Japanese to be sunk. It was in fact, being repaired at the dock and would be ready for the coming battle. 

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”

-Sun Tzu 

The truth was, Nimitz was sending three aircraft carriers to intercept the advancing enemy fleet. For what it’s worth, even with his intelligence, he named the rally point for his carriers Point Luck. What he had done was use his intelligence to lay a trap. 

By applying this knowledge with a smaller, less experienced, less technically advanced force he was able not only to win the battle but also destroy all of his opponent’s aircraft carriers and change the course of the war. This battle is studied around the world in military academies as an example of the importance of accurate and timely intelligence in war.  

How Is This Like What We Do Today?

Well, for the most part we aren’t there yet. But people analytics should serve the same purpose for talent acquisition that military intelligence serves for a battlefield commander. They provide information on enemy talent, location, type, strength. They report on movement.

If they get really good, they start giving you an idea of the internal communication of your enemies, I mean, your competition.

The talent map is your battlefield map. The labor market reports are the weather conditions on the battlefield. Your sourcers giving you information about layoffs that haven’t been announced is your code-breaking team. Knowing this type of information is critical to correctly apply your limited resources for maximum effect. 

Operation Neptune Spear (Seal Team Six) May 2, 2011: Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Coordinates: 34°10′9″N 73°14′33″E 

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

– Sun Tzu 

According to Military.com, “On the night of the infiltration, two dozen SEALs flew in using two helicopters beneath the radar and varying routes to avoid detection.

“Using night-vision goggles (power on the street had been cut off), the SEALs infiltrated the compound, killing anyone who put up resistance, securing the women and children, clearing weapons stashes and barricades and taking anything that could contain secret information, including hard drives and cell phones.

“The SEALs quickly made their way up to the third floor, where they found the terrorist leader in his bedroom and killed him. …The entire operation lasted less than 45 minutes.”

That terrorist leader was Osama Bin Laden.

Special forces are employed by militaries around the world. They are designed to attack quickly, from behind and by surprise. When a sourcer reaches out to an employee at one of your competitors, it is the equivalent of a sneak attack.  

In the ancient world, ninjas were the best of special forces. They were highly trained and well-equipped but largely autonomous. They were used to conduct short-duration strikes against high-value targets. Typically, sourcers act like Ninjas. They are given a target but no real instruction or support on how they are to achieve their objectives. 

However, on the modern battlefield, special forces operate in teams. That’s given modern commanders additional ways to deploy their forces. Seal Team Six, the most widely known special forces team, and is tasked with “performing the most complex, classified and dangerous missions.” They conduct, “counterterrorism, hostage rescue, special reconnaissance, and direct action.” 

Sourcers should be the special forces of talent acquisition. They can be deployed to find niche talent, a valid use for sourcing but not the only one. They can be deployed to “hot spots,” create pipelines, build relationships with communities, nourish employee referral programs as well as provide real-time feedback on market conditions on the ground.  Sourcers are the tip of the spear; they should be made up of the elite of your talent acquisition function. 

What has to change is that the people in the field need to be empowered with not just correct information, but the ability to organize. As we move past the Great Resignation into the Great Recovery, we need to become more organized and data-driven, but with a myopic focus on data hygiene. Data hygiene is to a talent acquisition what washing hands is to an army.  

Peace In Our Time

“There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.”

– Sun Tzu 

The most successful outcome would be to find a Nash equilibrium as we move towards the commoditization of labor. I wrote about what that means in practical terms in a previous article. In the end, the bottom line may be the thing that drives peace. War, after all, is inefficient and not profitable in the long term.

After war, reality changes. Things that were once impossible now seem inevitable. Former enemies become close allies. 

To move from the Great Resignation to the Great Recovery, talent acquisition must up its game. We must become organized, informed and methodical. We must move from the Continental army of January 1778 to the one of December of 1778. The objective of any just war must be peace. 

On the topic of peace, I leave you with the words of John F Kennedy, who spoke on the topic at length. 

“I have, therefore, chosen this time and this place to discuss a topic on which ignorance too often abounds and the truth is too rarely perceived — yet it is the most important topic on earth: world peace.

“What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living — not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.”

Perhaps a Sun Tsu of Talent Acquisition will lead us to a Nash Equilibrium — an optimal move — as the market moves toward the commoditization of labor. If you don’t know what that means, it is in your best interest to learn. After all, it was Sun Tsu who said in the end, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

The post The War for Talent appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

As was documented by the BBC, “Google’s success originated in one simple insight from its founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. They realized in the late 1990s that the sprawling, chaotic mass of material that was cascading onto the World Wide Web could be tamed by ranking search results according to their popularity.” 

They took something complex and they made it simple. It was a morse code-level breakthrough. Now that they had their business idea, they needed people to make it work.

Not just people. People with very specific skills. People that they could not afford.

Does this at all sound familiar? 

Pour Me a Pint

So Google did what innovators do. They simplified and streamlined part of the work environment. Don’t want to wear a tie or heels? Come to Google. We wear jeans in the office, like maniacs right, or so it was thought. How you dress determines how you behave, was the reasoning. Google disrupted corporate culture as much as it did search.

Google was able to see something beyond the employee satisfaction survey blind spots of the time. People didn’t want casual Friday. They wanted casual every day. 

Google became Google by finding and exploiting the blind spots of its competitors. They found a way to give their customers, in this case, the talent they needed, something they didn’t know they wanted until the very second that they heard it. Casual every day and beers in the fridge. 

And yes, this was 100% not just a thing but the thing. When I started my career as an agency recruiter back in the stone ages known as the early 2000s, I wore a suit and tie to the office every day. 

Google said, come in a t-shirt, flip flops. We have a pool table and stocked beer. And you know what? For the price of allowing people to wear what they want and a few brews, they got some of the best minds available and were able to turn Google from an idea into a multi-billion dollar empire.

“Don’t be evil.” 

So, What’s Your Point?

So how does that relate to the market today? I’m sure many of you already know. The next Google is out there thinking, I’ve got this very specific idea to take something very complex and make it very simple, The problem is, I need people. And not just people, but people with a very specific set of skills, skills I can’t afford. 

Didn’t we just leave this story? How do I get Google’s talent so I can become the next Google? What can I offer that won’t cost me any more than flip flops, t-shirts and a few beers… oh, I know.

Enter the Four-day Workweek

This may come as a shock to those of us in TA, but serious companies and serious people have already begun to explore a four-day workweek. 

Many of us in the industry are familiar with Microsoft’s experiment with a four-day workweek in Japan in 2019. The old proverb, “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” seems to runneth over to your bottom line.

Microsoft publicly shared that their productivity increased by 40% 

While the idea has been around for a while it is worth noting that the intensity of talk about this has increased even in the last 30 days.

Specifically,

Kickstarter will test a four-day workweek in 2022, will your workplace be next?

Followed by,

The 40-hour workweek isn’t working. Reducing it could help with productivity.

Then,

Eidos Montreal becomes first AAA studio to adopt a 4-day workweek.

Those of us who grew weary of the analogy of “the war for talent” will hear nothing more than the familiar sound of mortar fire. Thud. One start-up goes to a four-day workweek. Thud. Another one does. Thud. Another one does.

This is a war of attrition and anyone who has read “The Innovator’s Dilemma” knows how this story ends. If you don’t, ask Sears, K-mart, Blockbuster… 

The Good News

This isn’t a war for talent; this is a war for change.

For those of you who don’t have the time at the moment to read “The Innovator’s Dilemma,” the point of the story is this: The best-run companies in the world are ultimately undone because they become too good at delivering for their customers. 

They become symbiotic, and the thing about symbiosis is that in developing that connection, you don’t spend the energy or focus on innovating. You simply iterate and what inevitably ends up happening is that someone else is able to give your client something new, something they’ve never experienced before, something they didn’t even know they wanted until just now.

What Do We Want? 

What workers at Google and Facebook and the K-marts and Sears of our day want is something different from what they thought. The surveys all say the No. 1 thing that people want in a job is compensation. There is a blind spot in the survey. Time is never given as an option. 

What the innovators have rediscovered is that the thing they can offer is time. This has been masquerading as “work-life balance” in the survey, the same way casual Friday masqueraded as the actual desire for casual every day.

In modern parlance work–life balance translates to, “I’m reclaiming my time.” 

Time!

Google made billions of dollars saving humanity trillionths of a second. What will the company that saves humanity eight hours be worth? E = MC2. The physics of innovation suggests that we exchange our time for money.

If I can’t climb Mount Money to get the talent I need, what can I do to attract it? I know the one thing I have as much of as Google. The one thing we all are equal in.

I can offer you time. 

This idea is hardly new. We typically think of a five-day workweek as being “standard,” but that was not the case for most of history. Before the worker riots that are memorialized by labor day in the U.S. took place, a six-day workweek was standard and workplace safety was not a phrase that existed.

Innovation doesn’t necessarily need to be new, it just has to be different. The smartphone is an example most of us are familiar with. 

The (R)Evolution at Hand

Over 150 years ago, Charles Darwin outlined the same principle in his book “The Origin of Species,” where he said, “It is not the strongest of the species (corporations) that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” 

The lesson of history is that large, well-run companies fail because they are unable to change their delivery as fast as their customers change what they demand. After a disaster, there is always a rapid period of change.

We Want it Now (or Pretty Soon)

Humanity has suffered a collective trauma the likes of which has not been experienced in most of living memory. Humanity has had a moment of pause. We stopped for a minute and when we did, the sky cleared up and the animals returned and we had time to notice. 

And after all, wasn’t that the sales pitch for technology all those thousands of years ago? The point was to give us time. Time when we didn’t have to focus on taking care of our immediate needs or the needs of others. Time to explore, time to relax, time to connect, time to sleep, time to think.

Oh look, it’s something new, something you’ve never experienced before and something you didn’t even know you wanted until just now. The demand for talent is going to make us appreciate the value of time. And now O. Henry and Alanis Morrissette, behold your baby.

The post How Google Became Google and the Case for the Four-Day Workweek appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

As recruiters, we understand the hiring process better than anyone. But when it comes time to bring our own search, we can feel lost at where to start. It is one thing to search for people for our open jobs, but it is something else entirely to search for open jobs for ourselves.  I’ve put together a few resources to help you with your job search.  

Recruiters Recruiting Recruiters

The first site to check out is RecruitersRecruitingRecruiters.com.  From their own website, they say,

“RecruitersRecruitingRecruiters.com is a consortium of recruitment industry vendors and private industry TA leaders who have committed themselves to the art and science of great candidate experience.

While this unique talent exchange portal was created during the COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic doesn’t define the mission. The goal is to start with recruiters and replicate the model in other professional areas.

The core team is made up of Chris Hoyt and Gerry Crispin of CareerXroads; Roy Baladi of Smart Recruiters; Brad Cook of Intuitive Surgical; Ralph Rabbat of Consider.com; Maren Hogan from Red Branch Media, and Jack Coapman of GR8 People.”  

If you have been in the industry for more than a minute you know that this an all-star list of recruiting industry leadership.  They took it upon themselves to help their fellow Talent Acquisition professionals in a time of need. 

It is a great resource for just recruiting jobs. Additionally, in order to join, the companies involved had to commit to providing timely and honest feedback to the applicants they receive via this system. 

It will provide not only a better candidate experience but hopefully help those recruiters looking for work the difference transparency and timely feedback to candidates can make.

Free Resume Review

This Facebook Group FreeResumeReview is a group of over 600 volunteer recruiters who are offering free resume review and interview prep for those who have lost their jobs due to the COVID pandemic. 

This is a free Facebook group to join. All you have to do is fill out a few questions about your search and agree to the rules of the group.  Once you are in, post a little about yourself and your search. 

You will then be paired with at least one, but often several volunteer recruiters, who will volunteer to look at your resume and provide you with feedback.  Often they are also willing to share your resume and profile with their networks. 

Finally, they will schedule a time with you to do some interview preparation.  Take the time to use this free resource, improve your resume, and build your network. 

Remember, sharing is caring. So if you find the group helpful they also ask that you share the group information with your network. This is how they have grown to over 2,500 members in a matter of months.  Their work was actually featured by Facebook, so they also have a solid reputation.  

Recruiter Job Ads

This Facebook Group RecruiterJobAds is run by Michael Keleman “The Recruiting Animal,” and has been around since before the current pandemic. However, the group has recently grown to over 7,000 members. 

This is a group that explicitly and only posts for recruiters that are looking for a job and employers looking to grow their talent acquisition teams. 

Typically you are able to connect directly with the recruiter who is posting or sharing the job. I have personally posted open jobs for my sourcing team and have had several interviews with people that there is no way I would have been able to connect with otherwise.  

Other Resources

Don’t forget there are some other ways that you can get your name out there.  Blogs like recruitingdaily.com are always looking for contributors. (Editor’s note: Yes please reach out to us: content@recruitingdaily.com.)

You can write and post your own materials to your LinkedIn if you don’t feel comfortable in the spotlight, but it does help to establish your reputation as an expert in your field. Even if you don’t have a breakthrough insight it does help potential employers to see that you are passionate about what you do and you want to be part of the larger conversation.  

It is hard to ask for help but the truth is it takes a village.  All of us need help it is the nature of being human. 

Reach out directly to people you know and ask them if they would be willing to share your profile with their network.  It is hard to say no to such a basic request. And, it is easier for someone to help you in that way. The odds that any one person you know will have a job that is a fit for you at any one day or time is actually fairly slim.  However, everyone can share your resume and profile to their network at any time.

This is a moment of difficulty for millions of people around the world. You aren’t alone and it is okay not to be okay. 

Just remember, as isolated as you feel, you aren’t alone. Like Mr. Rogers said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

The post Resources for Recruiters Looking for a Job appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

What the hell is People Analytics? What is he going to tell me I need to worry about this time?

Have no fear! People Analytics is actually the name to that unknown something we’ve always been looking for. To help us actually be part of the business and not transactional service providers.

Put simply, People Analytics is the study of the problems that are associated with people and work. There are two main branches of People Analytics data. The first one is usually familiar. These are the inside out People Analytics platforms. So employee engagement surveys, pay parody reports, and turn over reports are all internal HR data generated by a company. They are learning about the people in their own company from their own data.

The revolution is in “outside-in” people analytics platforms. This enables behaviors like competitive salary benchmarking, employee engagement comparisons, and comparative diversity. In the future, before you work for a company, you will be able to not only see how diverse they are. But also how they rank against other companies their size. The tools to deliver these insights are new but they are here now. This is why people analytics has suddenly become extremely relevant and important.   

Glassdoor did a lot to try to move us in the direction of corporate transparency, but People Analytics can get us across the finish line.

How? Why?

Because you can police A website but you can’t police THE internet. The reason is that outside-in people analytics platforms act like Google for HR data. Google isn’t designed to search for and display salary information for jobs in New York and Chicago.

People analytics platforms are designed to do exactly that and it means that they are less subject to bias.

Now this information has existed for a while in the public domain, but until recently no one has tried to organize it specifically around HR.  This shift and sudden change coincide with the rise in the importance of Data Science and Analytics in corporate America. There has been a renewed focus on deploying analytics to more areas of business. 

Unexpectedly, we are at the beginning of the true democratization of HR data and transparency propelled by corporate America itself. So what’s in it for them?

Well for one thing they can finally, at scale, compare themselves to the larger market and their competitors. Some Fortune 50 companies have been able to do this for a while. But a company that, for example, had 50 million in revenue, is unlikely to have invested in that type of information or technology.

Not because it wasn’t valuable, but it typically doesn’t become worth the historical cost of investment until a company is to the point where investing increased HR efficiency justifies the expense. Even then most of the work was outsourced. That doesn’t account for the fact that nearly no one in HR knows what to do with this type of information or how to effectively deploy it. 

But large corporations and scientists have long understood the benefits of benchmarking results and making those results repeatable, scalable, and public. People Analytics will empower millions of companies to begin to benchmark their own human capital. It will also enable millions more people to do the same.  

Employee Retention

HR in general is considered to be an overhead cost department. A great way to get ahead in that type of environment is to learn how to reduce costs. A simple use case is employee retention.  

Citing a 2017 Retention Report by the Work Institute of over 34,000 respondents; it concluded that 75% of the causes of employee turnover are preventable.  It also said, “ In dollar figures, the replacement cost is $15,000 per person for an employee earning a median salary of $45,000 a year”  

Now if I’m working in an HR function of any kind in a time like this I’m thinking, if I can come up with a system that helps my company save 10 people who would have left would that make me move valuable? What if I start paying attention to our People Analytics dashboard, and dropped managers a note to engage with members of their team that they think might be a flight risk. 

That same person could then put in their end of year report that they saved the company $150,000 dollars in lost productivity costs and recruiting cost thanks to data-enabled employee engagement. 

In the future, expect to see an expectation for a company to publish their HR data.  This will include things like turn over, the average time to fill a job, cost per hire, and diversity ranking. All of these things will be scrutinized by future wall street analysts trying to use HR data as a leading indicator of company performance.  They will benchmark companies against things like the most recent McKinsey study (see below) that says companies that get diversity right are up to 35% more profitable than the bottom quartile of companies. 

The broader implications

This is just one case study. There are many more. The implications for the broader world of sourcing are profound and I will have to elaborate more in the future.  I interviewed Maria Dolgusheva of Panda Docs for this article.  Maria holds two Masters degrees including one in Business Analytics.

According to Maria, “TA doesn’t need to become a Prophet but they do need to be able to use the tools that make HR more personal and effective.”  

So what does this mean for you?  In real terms, it means there is going to be an expectation that you come to an intake meeting with data. You will be expected to already know who all the candidates are. And how likely they are to make a move at this time. You will need to be able to augment the meeting with data on the expected salary range and time to fill. When you fill a job you will also have to justify the diversity of your slate against the market.  

All of that seems strange to recruiters right now but as AI automates more of the repetitive tasks Recruiters will move from actors to managers.  They will be managing systems in motion. There will still be some call for individual outreach, but by in large algorithms and pre messaged content will conduct outbound sourcing.    

Increasingly, “automated yes” hires will require no human interaction.  If you pass all screening the system can schedule interviews, follow up with hiring managers for feedback, and give a suggested pay rate based on internal compensation and marketing data. An automated system can even send an offer email.  The hiring manager will come to rely on the system to tell him an expected acceptance rate before an offer goes out.   No human can do those types of things at scale and speed. 

So where on Earth will you come up with all of this?

You will get all of this information from people analytics platforms. If you want to think of an ATS as an engine, then think of People Analytics as the dashboard in the car.  Now you as the driver are getting analytics about what is happening with the engine. Based on the conditions you observe you react by pushing on, pulling, or turning a device or pedal.

Recruiting is about to become much more like driving.  

Gas in the tank will be the pre-mapped talent market. The start button is the automated sourcing function. The engine turning is candidates moving through the system. Automating a rejection based purely on automation is currently illegal in many places. However, no law anywhere makes an automated yes illegal. So yes gets automated, then it is up to the recruiter to manage the no and the maybe. As well as keep an eye on the speedometer and gas tank. 

If the steps between application and offer are perfect for automation. They are basically the same every time. In the process if not in content. Data will force companies to have consistent interview processes because, without it, the data will be useless. Michael Beygelman CEO of Claro HR calls this the “Datafication of HR.” 

The work from home adjustment

The COVID pandemic has changed a lot of things and one of the most dramatic is the work from home change.  I do not foresee a future where we work in offices in anything like the numbers we have seen pre COVID.  Companies have discovered a few things.

First, a lot more of the work they accomplish could be accomplished remotely than they expected.  Secondly, productivity in many cases has gone up.  Even in less than ideal conditions of working remotely with children, not in school, there has been a general rise in productivity. Third, the people who are now able to work remotely are not going to be inclined to start going back.

Remote work has become a requirement in many fields. Where in the past, it was largely seen as a benefit.

Not only are people not missing their commute they are worried about working in an office with other people who may get them sick.  In the past, we have accepted that this happens and we go to work. But, COVID has changed the way many people feel about the topic and has changed their risk tolerance. Post-COVID you can expect to see a significant minority of the job market simply refusing to work in an office. 

This means that the important role of People Analytics is only going to grow. Remote work means communicating complex information in precise ways with large groups of people. Many of them will not be experts in the field they are seeing information about. 

So your head of programming and sales are going to also see HR data. People Analytics is that platform or means of that communication for HR.  In simpler terms, it means HR is going to have to communicate with the business in business terms. The language of 21st-century business is analytics. 

A final word of advice from Maria, “Recruiters need to familiarize themselves with technical concepts. They need to understand Python, SQL, and it wouldn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with Tableau.” 

The good news is that this engine is just pulling out of the station.  All aboard! 

The post People Analytics and the Future of Talent Acquisition appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

If you are like me, you keep close tabs on the employment market. For years the BLS unemployment data is something I have taken into intake meetings with my hiring managers. In fact, I’m on record as recently as November as saying this was a best practice. 

When I saw March’s unemployment numbers, I was surprised like everyone else. But I assumed that the BLS would have a hard time keeping up with the unprecedented number of unemployed people to account for in such a short period. The unemployment numbers are not simple to get to in the best of times. When a crisis hits and the BLS is trying to measure an event that has no parallel in modern history, I was inclined to give a little leeway.

However, the 13.3% unemployment number recently reported seemed to me to be just wrong. How could there be such a disparity between unemployment claims reported by the states and the number presented by the BLS? The BLS doesn’t initially show you the number result, just the percentage.

When I dug into the data, I found that they based the 13.3 percent on a 21 million person unemployment count.

Now, for the record, that is bad enough, but it is a far cry from the 40 million reported unemployment claims. Now 19 million isn’t a rounding error.

So I endeavored to understand exactly why there was such a disconnect.  Some of it came together quickly. Furloughed people, for example, collect unemployment. But it isn’t obvious to count them as unemployed. There is going to be some fraud in the system, but even with the best explanations, I couldn’t bridge the gap.

The story

Then a story broke, and someone put this onto my timeline. It is a story by Nancy Yang, a reporter for MPR News.  

Now, this is an entirely different story. 

Temporarily laid-off is a very specific term for the BLS, but it normally does not have a lot of people in it. In this case, the error seems to be that they counted the people in this category as employed. That is a definition set by the BLS itself and reflects a decision made a long time ago as to what the definition was and how to count it in regards to overall unemployment.

No one expects the BLS to be perfect. Mistakes are made, and even big mistakes. This is a hard thing to do, and it is made more complex in the current condition.  The BLS has a long history of self-identifying and self-correcting mistakes to their data. It is common practice to see preliminary numbers, final numbers, and then revised numbers from the BLS. The mistake, in and of itself, isn’t that shocking.  

What is shocking is that they knew about it and didn’t correct the data. Their posted explanation that they didn’t update to not look political is actually an atypical response from them as noted by those of us who follow this data closely.  In real terms, this is the single largest reporting error made by the BLS.

4.9 million counted as employed when they are unemployed is a massive error. It moves April’s unemployment number from 14.7% to 19.7%.  Economists had been predicting 20%, and when the new numbers came out, it caused a credibility problem.  That is quite a margin to be off by.  

How will the BLS respond?

Now to be clear, no one expects the BLS to be perfect. We do expect them to be transparent. Burying a 4.9 million person mistake in the footnote while not updating the headline is misleading at the very best.

There is an obvious and instant political implication, but in reality, that is just the first challenge the BLS faces.  Forbes interviewed me on this topic, and I’ll repeat what I said there.

“It’s going to be a problem of credibility now with the BLS,” said Mike Wolford, Director of Customer Success at Claro Workforce Analytics. “[BLS] looks incompetent or political. Twenty million people didn’t finish unemployment in the last 30 days. I would have thought lag time was an explanation because it’s a lot to count actually, but to find out they made a five-million-person error, knew about it, didn’t correct it for the sake of ‘data integrity’ when they literally update things all the time. That is suspicious and, at least, merits investigation,” Wolford added.

Needless to say, there are now going to be investigations, if not by Congress, certainly by investigative journalists. The problem now for the BLS is that there isn’t a good answer for them. No conclusion makes them look better or restores faith in their credibility.

You can bet that Wall Street will have its own analysts scrutinizing the data. They have taken the BLS on faith for years, and now it seems, that faith has been shaken. The implications are far-reaching. But, if the stock market loses faith in the BLS data about unemployment, then that will introduce a large unknown factor in the market.

One thing markets hate is uncertainty.

The ball is now in the hands of the BLS. How they respond to this “error” is going to establish or destroy their credibility longer term. For the near future, it means we are going to have to develop new methods and tactics for getting at this type of data. It is also a wake-up call to embrace an attitude developed by accountants during the Enron / Author Andersen scandals.

Trust, but verify. 

The post The Unemployment Error appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

“If not us, who? If not now, when?”

Because you haven’t been living in a cave you know that humanity is facing an unprecedented crisis.  A new virus has spread across the world killing tens of thousands and hospitalizing many times more.  Many of us are at home with reduced workloads filling the hours with anxious musings but it is hard to know what else we can be doing.

We cannot volunteer at a hospital and we don’t know how to build ventilators. But even as tens of thousands suffer from this disease, millions have lost their jobs and there IS something we can do about THAT.

No one on Earth looks at and evaluates more resumes than Recruiters do.  In this time of need, we can band together and help people impacted by job loss.  The first thing we can do to help, is offer to review the resumes of those who have lost a job due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

If you are interested in joining us we are looking for volunteers to provide 1 to 1 help for jobseekers who have or are at risk for losing their jobs due to Covid-19. The link for the group is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FreeResumeReview/.

Be Human

One of the first things I was taught in Recruiting is we find people for jobs not jobs for people.  That never sat well with me but I understand the meaning. However, this is a time where, without argument, we can be recruiters who help people find jobs. We are asking people to follow Glen Cathey and other’s advice.

Let’s be Human first, and Recruiters second for a while.

Sharing the Data

There is a lot of noise on social media about how big of a deal this is or is not.  In a time of crisis, it is counterproductive to tell people how they should feel.   Let’s stay away from telling people how to feel and try instead to focus on why they feel the way they do.

The unfortunate reality is that we do know now or are likely to know someone who has lost a job or become sick.  As this disease progresses many of us are likely to know people who will not survive.

Crisis offers us a moment of pause where we can clearly see who we really are and what we really value.  No one can say for sure how bad things will be and for how long. That is rightfully alarming.  The only thing we can do is help each other in the ways that we are able.

https://bit.ly/3dBwuvG

Finally, I know that there have been comments around the data and how many people die from different causes every year.  I love Data more than a normal person should but please understand that if you say “only X” people have died it sounds very cold and uncaring.

Let’s do our best to support each other and allow each other to be anxious or panicked or not okay.   Instead of trying to talk people down, we should try to sit people down by listening.  Instead of worrying about all the things that we can’t control, let’s take a moment to help the people whom it is within our power to help.

Let’s bring our experience and networks to bear and help our fellow humans in the way we are uniquely able to do in this time of global crisis.

The post [Podcast] Recruiters Volunteering to Help Job Seekers appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

We aren’t a “–insert term here—” we are a Technology company!  

Heard that line before?  The first thing I would say is, don’t play along. 

How do you recruit differently now that you are hiring for a “Tech Company?” 

There are a number of things but I will narrow it down to three.

Reason # 1

Everyone is a tech company. 

Nearly every company I’ve worked, and probably you, have worked for, says they want to be seen this way in the market.  Fine okay, you are a tech company.  How is that reflected in your recruiting process?

Do you have an advanced AI Chabot sourcing and screening your candidates?  Do you have automated interview scheduling?  Does your CRM automatically scan your ATS for candidates that might be a fit for your new roles?  Do you have automated coding challenges or video interview platforms?  Are you using a programmatic advertising platform for your jobs?

If the answer to those questions is no, or mostly no I would suggest that even if you are a technology company, no one applying would be able to tell. It is difficult to sell yourself as a technology company that is innovating in the market if your system still makes candidates upload a resume and then add their work history to their application.

If your hiring process looks exactly the same as it did 10, 5, 3 years ago you are losing your credibility with a candidate.  It is hard to sell a candidate that this is a truly innovative place where technology is embraced if your process is nearly the same as everyone else’s for the last decade.

Conversely, if you are out ahead of the market why would you want to advertise yourself the same way as all your competition who say, but don’t show, they are a tech company?  This leads me to my next reason

Reason #2

If everyone is a tech company it doesn’t really mean anything. 

Now I can understand the motive here.  Companies don’t want to be seen as Banks, or Government Contractors or Manufacturers because people don’t necessarily instantly think of these places as being hubs of technological advancement.  However, the unchallenged thought process is that somehow adding technology would seem to make the company more innovative and thus more attractive and interesting.

Following this thought process can you even tell me clearly what a “technology company” even means?  Every company on Earth uses technology to some extent to operate.   Stone Axes are technology but by no means in this day in age would that also count as innovative.  Additionally, if you are using recruiting’s stone axes you are going to fail at selling yourself as a technology company anyway.

I get it you want to stand out from your competition but I would suggest that the best way to do this isn’t to try to change the perception of your industry or your company.  I believe the best way to get candidates to notice you is to just tell your story in your voice.

There are better ways to sell your company that will not only be more accurate but help combat the fatigue and cynicism of a lot of candidates.  They are, and so are you, used to big words and promises that ultimately do not deliver.  If you sell yourself as an innovative technology company from the beginning and from the beginning you are just like everyone else… for the last 5 years, you have already lost your credibility. All this does is tell the candidate from the beginning, we say things we don’t really mean. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Reason #3

If you want to differentiate yourself, be authentic and different. 

Instead of saying, “we are a technology company.” Try instead, “we are a big data company with big ideas.”  Or, “we are aspiring toward AI.”  The way you position yourself shouldn’t just be a statement of fact but a way to tell your story in a sentence.

Humans respond to and remember stories better than they remember facts.  In the US alone there are over 7 million open jobs and nearly 1 million open jobs in IT.  If you want to attract the best talent you need to tell a story that sticks.  We are a Technology Company isn’t a story and it isn’t going to stick.  So I understand where this motive comes from but to me, it is nonsensical to work to move your company from one herd into another.

Ultimately this is your voice and if you want it to stand out it has to be different and true.   If you are stuck, talk to marketing, they happen to be great at this stuff, or at least they should be.  The best way to stand out is to tell a compelling authentic story, you know, your story.

In Summary

The goal should not be universal attraction.

It is okay if your brand doesn’t appeal to everyone.  Culture fit works both ways.  It is heartbreaking to hire a candidate only to watch them suffer and eventually leave because they don’t enjoy the work or the environment.

The point is not to be universally appealing but appealing to your audience.  Sounds like good marketing to me right?  A good example is SpaceX.  If you interview there you will be told, our mission is to get humans to Mars and we work crazy hours to do that.  If that is your mission we’d love to have you if that isn’t your passion we wish you the best of luck.  Guess what? Everyone knows who they are and what they do.

Also, and more importantly, it has helped them assemble a team of genuine enthusiasts who are engaged.  This isn’t just a matter of branding and talent attraction it really is a matter of company performance.  In July 2009 SpaceX launched its first rocket.  It exploded.  By February of 2018, they had not only launched the second most powerful rocket in human history, but they had also invented reusable rocket technology.  In this case, having the right people literally made a world of difference.  In less than 10 years they went from being worth 0 dollars to more than 33 billion dollars. They don’t have to sell people that they are an innovative technology company. Everyone knows who they are, what they do and what they are about.  After all, isn’t that the point?

The post 3 Reasons To Not Hire Like A Tech Company appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

It’s that time of year again.  Where we stop and take a measure of our lives and plan our path forward.  As I think about my #LifeAsaSourcer I wanted to reflect on some of the lessons I’ve learned from both the experience and mistakes I’ve made.  I’ve also taken the time to understand what sourcing is and what value we ultimately add.

Lesson #1

Learning to say no in an appropriate way.  I think sourcers can feel pressure to say yes because they are rarely measured on hires but on qualified submittals.  However, there is rarely a case where the sourcer is told exactly how many submittals are required in order to justify your paycheck.  The other pressure comes from some in the market that think of sourcing as an entry into full life cycle recruiting.

Again it can be but my career progressed in exactly the opposite direction.  A skilled Sourcer or Recruiter who is good at sourcing is the most valuable asset to a TA team.   Although we do a lot of work there are only a few actions in TA that are truly value add.  One of the major value adds is finding, qualifying and submitting candidates into the pipeline that would not have otherwise applied on their own.  In fact, with 7 million open jobs posted in the US alone, it is clear that TA would fall on its face and fail entirely without at least some sourcing.

Everything else a Recruiter or Sourcer does could technically be done by anyone in HR.  After all, it doesn’t take a skilled and trained Recruiter to schedule an appointment,  meet with a hiring manager and give them an update (your system is up to date with all of your activity so anyone could understand it right?) or update an ATS.  The two value ads of TA are actively identifying talent that would not have applied and then closing that talent.  Nearly everything in between is administrative.

What I’ve learned from this is that my value as a sourcer is determined almost solely by the number and quality of candidates I submit.  One thing nearly every recruiter needs right now is sourcing support and because of the aforementioned dynamic if a Recruiter asks for sourcing support it is nearly impossible for the Sourcer to say no, even when we should.

This leads me to my second lesson learned.  The way to say no, in a professionally appropriate way, is to share the data.  It may seem like your sourcer has a low req load when they have 5 roles assigned and the average Recruiter has 25 but the truth is sourcing candidate directly takes more time.  What I’ve had to learn to do is to document my capacity and share the amount of time I’m going to dedicate to sourcing on a particular role.   I have thought of several possible solutions but they all have one thing in common.  That leads me to the next thing I’ve learned.

Lesson #2

It’s all about the data.  This was a lesson I learned early on in my career. However, as I progress I understand how critical the data is not just for reporting purposes but for strategy purposes.   I’m not just talking about the business strategy I’m talking about TA’s. I’m sure you’ve all been in a meeting where it was announced that a number of jobs are going to be opened and you are expected to fill them in an unreasonable amount of time for a salary that is below the market.   You aren’t asked what it will take to accomplish the task, what resources you will need or how much time it will take you are simply given a deadline.  I can think of no other function in a business that operates this way.

There are a lot of reasons we find ourselves at the short end of that particular stick in TA. Frequently and it is caused by a systemic lack of understanding about the data. If you aren’t being consulted about large staffing projects have you ever stopped to ask yourself why?  I believe one of the major contributing factors to this conundrum is that TA has no pertinent data to add to the conversation, only opinions.  Operations people do not discount opinion but they are going to choose theirs over yours every time.

The first place to start to get that seat at the table is to bring and share relevant data.  Some of this you should have on your own however in “The Educating of a Hiring Manager” I outlined some of the sources of external data that I have used to gain credibility with my hiring managers.  In a recent intake, I presented the same 3 slides I share in my article with a hiring manager.  His response was, “oh my God I had no idea, what are we doing about this?”

The very first part of moving from a transactional vendor to a trusted partner is to provide accurate, up to date information about your area of expertise.  This simple step taken with multiple hiring managers over time will help you get that seat at the table.  You will know you are making progress when your hiring managers start to consult with you before they open a role or start a project.  When the business starts to solicit your input beforehand you are on the right path.

Lesson #3

Not everything is about my day to day work.  It can be easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees in this job but not everything and every day is about wash rinse repeat.  It is important to volunteer for projects that lay outside of the scope of your day to day work.  Volunteering has allowed me to gain the experience of sitting on corporate committees that are not directly related to recruiting, it allowed me the opportunity to build a successful college recruiting program, to speak publicly, to lead a global vendor evaluation and implementation program and to write and share my pain and promise with the community I’m a part of.  I have often referred to the 90/10 rule for a career.  90% of your time and effort should rightly be focused on your day to day work but if you ever want to truly rise in your filed and be seen as more than just an order taker you have to lift your head up from your reqs once in a while and take a look around and report on what you see.

Lesson #4

Never stop learning.  I feel this is one that could apply to almost any profession but in sourcing, I feel it is especially true.  There are a large number of things to learn in this profession in order to just be competent much less good.  Reading books on sales, marketing, psychology are actually great ways to learn more about sourcing.

As a Sourcer you are expected to learn and understand the nuanced and niche roles you are sent to fill. If you want to do that well you are going to have to talk to people and learn what they do.  We are expected to know how to get hard to find talent to speak with us, we are expected to know advanced Boolean searches and have exotic ways of sourcing candidate information that a typical recruiter does not have.

Finally, the technology in and around sourcing is constantly evolving and we are expected to keep pace with the advances.  I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve had an email from a hiring manager or my boss or a recruiter asking me if I’ve heard of XYZ.  The only way to keep up with this demand is to constantly read, attend conferences and speak with others in the field as well as develop relationships with vendors.  Keep learning, keep asking questions.  None of us knows it all and there are always areas we can improve on.

Lesson #5

Sourcing is sales.  If you have come from an agency background this one is a no brainer for you.  However, it is something I’ve had to remind myself of constantly.  Do you know one thing every company on earth does?  Spoiler alert, it sells!  All business sells something.  Good salespeople are the most valuable human capital that a company has. Without sales, there is no company. If you don’t believe me talk to the CEO of a start-up and ask them how much of their time they spend selling.

Sourcers are the full-time sales professionals of the Talent Acquisition world.  Likewise, I believe that sourcing is the most valuable part of Talent Acquisition.  Without sourcing, you aren’t going to be able to hire the salespeople, operations people, and leaders you are going to need in order to succeed.

What I’ve had to learn to do is to find out what makes the job I’m working on interesting, different or unique and then use that as my sell to the benefit of that sell to my prospect. Sounds like sales 101 doesn’t it?  An important lesson I’ve learned from many a sales book is that selling isn’t about me, it’s about YOU.  I’ve learned to customize my message to what my audience thinks is interesting not what I might think is interesting.  After all, I’m not going to be the one doing this job.  That means this isn’t about me, it’s about….

Lesson #6

Learning to listen to understand, not respond.  Personally, this one has been very difficult for me.  Maybe it is because I started in a sales agency environment but it is my instinct to want to try to respond in a way that gets the candidate closer to saying yes.  However, this can be counterproductive.  One of the best ways to learn to listen to understand and not respond is to repeat the information you just heard.  It only takes a few seconds to say, what I think you are trying to say is…. Is that correct?

That simple question has made the difference of a candidate moving forward or not countless times in my career.  When I first started asking the question I was shocked by how often I didn’t truly understand what the other person was saying.  If you want to look at it another way, it is hard to sell a solution when you don’t truly understand the problem.  I know it is hard to do and it goes against your instincts but training yourself to ask that question early in a conversation with a candidate or a hiring manager leads to a more efficient and pleasant experience for everyone.

These are some of the things you experience living the life of a sourcer.  Hopefully, it’s a good life that with practice, education and effort gets even better!

The post ((Life*AND of) AND (“a Sourcer”)) OR #LifeofaSourcer appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, there are nearly 1 million unfilled jobs in IT.  The  Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also reports that there are over 7 million open jobs in the economy as a whole.  The market for Data Scientists is even more challenging.   If you are a recruiter in 2019 you know one thing for sure.  This is a candidate’s market.

A study by IBM at the beginning of 2019 revealed that the world will need 28% more Data Scientists by 2020.  Similarly, there are reports of job openings for Data Scientists increasing by over 40% in the first 6 months of 2019 alone.  In short, everyone needs Data Scientists and there just aren’t enough to go around.  So what is a Recruiter to do?

Be A Subject Matter Expert

The very first thing we need to do as recruiters is to serve as the subject matter experts and we need to educate our hiring managers.   To me, this means show not just tell.  Prepare 3 or 4 slides to show the hiring manager you support the market conditions and data.  One of the things we need in order to be successful is we need to learn how to advise our hiring managers and help them make good choices in less time.  The market is challenging enough we don’t need a hiring manager’s FOMO making a hire even more difficult.  Providing the hiring manager with data will help you move the conversation forward, it will establish your expertise and it will help set expectations.

I’ve included a few examples of the types of data I would include in my intake below.

This graph shows that there are over 7 million open jobs currently posted online.

This table shows unemployment against the level of education.  In this case, college-educated professionals have an unemployment rate of 2.1% 

BLS data is a great place to start but it is by no means the only source of candidate data.  It is important to show recent information that is relevant to the hiring managers being able to make good choices at speed.  For example, according to a recent article published in the Wall Street Journal, there are nearly 1 million open jobs in IT right now.  That number is only expected to grow as an increase in the demand for Data Scientists doesn’t seem to be doing anything other than climbing rapidly.  

This is an important context for your hiring manager to understand.  There are no guarantees in life and this certainly does not mean your hiring manager will change their behavior but it is all that you can do in order to move the needle.

Coach, and Coach Some More

The second thing I think you need to do is to be a coach.  Once you have established yourself as the expert by providing the hiring manager with actual data they become more receptive to coaching.  This is where we gain the credibility we need to encourage our hiring managers to either be flexible on their requirements or open to candidates that have the skills but maybe lack the experience or credentials that they would typically seek to fill a job.

Again, not every manager will be open to suggestions but you are giving yourself the best chance to gain the hiring manager’s trust.  You do this by educating them as to the market decisions, using real-time data and then you can leverage that education to help them get to a good hiring decision in less time. 

Transparent Communications

Finally, keep the hiring manager in the loop about your search.  It is difficult to find new candidates for sure and it stinks writing a message that basically says, “sorry I’ve got nothing today but I’m going to try again tomorrow.” But it is better than not letting your hiring manager hear from you because in their mind no communication means no work is being done on their project.

There has never been a better or more challenging time to be a recruiter.  The market is in rapid fluctuation.  Some markets are on fire and others are already in recession.  The technology used to do our work is rapidly changing and the demands for our performance are increasing.   Change is the only constant in the Universe and the secret to mastering change is as Darwin once wrote was, “ It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

The post The Educating of a Hiring Manager appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

5 Steps To Get Out of the Recruiting Box

Have you heard this in the last 90 days?  We need to think outside the box.  I’m sure that after that question was posed an interesting series of suggestions followed.  Many had ideas of how different technologies could be used in order to increase candidate flow.  Here is the thing.  Not all recruiting can be done from behind a desk.  I want to share some of the old school ways recruiters have connected with talent in the past that don’t involve technology but do involve handshakes and IRL conversations.

Out of the box idea number one.  Host a networking event. 

In most cases, we work in places that have nice facilities.  Inviting the community you recruit from for a networking event gives you the ability to engage with talent and build an employer brand.  Host an event and provide a speaker on a topic your talent pipeline wants to hear about.   I recommend two things for a networking event even if you don’t have a speaker.

First set up tables with topics of interest to the talent you have invited.   Place some of your hiring managers at the different tables and give them a no-pressure way to engage with potential talent.   Have you ever read a director or VP resume where they indicate they help with recruiting?  Give them the chance to earn that line on their resume.  Let your HM’s sell the job at a happy hour.

Don’t forget the fishbowl/raffle to gather even more contact info.  Part of the draw for your event needs to be a prize that your prospects will get excited about.  It is worth a $50 dollar gift card to get contact information for your target market.

The second idea, create “ambassador” cards for your employees. 

Give them a card where they can fill in their information and hand it out to their contacts.  Print the card so that it has a link to your employee referral portal or the email address of the email for the referral inbox.  This is a great way to help your employees generate referrals without requiring a lot of effort on their part.

For the third idea, try attending industry events. 

Do you recruit cybersecurity?  Why not attend Black Hat?  One thing marketers understand that recruiters struggle with is it isn’t the only the message that matters, it is the place and the time.  Marketers understand you have to go to the places your audience lives.   Hosting a booth at an industry event gives you access to talent that you might not have been able to connect with online.

The fourth idea, promote diversity and inclusion. 

Along the same lines of industry events also promote activity among the different Employee Resource Groups or Affiliation Groups.  Diversity and inclusion are major initiatives for most of corporate America.  Hosting industry events focused on diversity and inclusion is a win for the company and for the community.  It doesn’t matter what you do to promote diversity and inclusion if you don’t take the time to share with the community.

Idea number five, have you tried a billboard? 

Placed near the office they can not only help increase brand awareness they can also be targeted to specific skill sets.  A billboard that says something like, tired of sitting in traffic?  If you worked for us you wouldn’t be!  I’m not sure what he right message is for you or your audience but I would guess they do drive a car around your offices on a somewhat regular basis.

Finally, be consistent.  One of the challenges of outside of the box is that they require consistency in order to produce results.  No one career fair or industry event is going to fill all of your jobs all of the time.  Living in a world dominated by technology it is easy to forget that not all recruiting can be done from behind a desk.  At the end of the day, long term recruiting is about speaking to people and making connections.  It is far easier to make a connection with another human in person.  It has been the only way for most of our existence as a species and it remains an effective way to recruit.

The post Thinking Outside the Box, Old School appeared first on RecruitingDaily.

There is a balance between speed and quality that we deal with on a daily basis but do not often think about.  We have more open jobs than we can possibly fill and so there is a high demand for a constant flow of candidates.

On the other hand, most of the jobs we recruit for are specialized and require skills that most people simply do not have.  While we do want to fill our high volume of jobs we also know we can’t just send anyone.  Every day we are balancing quality and speed.

Most recruiters have a philosophy that they stick by.  Some recruiters have the philosophy that they would rather have 2 great candidates over 5 good ones.  Other recruiters tend not to worry about anyone job and they source, talk to and submit everyone they encounter that they feel might have a chance at the job.  Who is right and who is wrong?

The answer is both, neither and it depends.  We have stumbled upon a concept well known to all project managers.  It is known as the project management triangle.  Good is one side, fast another and cheap is the final.  The idea is you can have two but not three.  In my experience the view of the recruiter tends to reflect the environment they started recruiting in.  There is one thing we can use to try to balance good and fast.  That focal point can be assessments.

In process terms, assessments are a quality control element.  Anyone who passes an assessment has passed a universally agreed to quality control measure.  In recruiting, assessments are typically used to validate the hard skills that the recruiter simply lacks the knowledge to validate.

Here is the conundrum that you face as a recruiter:

The earlier in the process you place an assessment the less time you spend downstream with candidates who do not pass quality control.     However, most skilled candidates are not willing to take the time to do an assessment unless and until they are confident they have a reasonable chance of landing the job.  Typically that means they have at least spoken with a recruiter and possibly even a hiring manager.

So what is the answer? I think it depends on the type of recruiting you do.

If you have volume and you spend a lot of time saying no to people the assessment begins towards the beginning of the interview process.  In this case, putting the assessment upfront ends up saving a lot of time with candidates who are not qualified.

If you recruit skilled and niche professionals I would advise moving assessments back in the recruitment process.  This strikes a balance between good and fast that I believe is optimal.  In a niche low volume, high value recruiting process quality checks are used primarily for validation as opposed to elimination.  This tends to be why high volume processes benefit more from automation.  Automation is great at sorting the candidates that do not fit a profile but it is not as effective on smaller data sets.  That is due to the nature of automation as it requires large data sets to be able to accurately do its work.

Finally, prep your candidate for the process and the assessment.  This is something I feel we have gotten away from as an industry.  Assessments are meant to be a quality control element not a test of candidates on the spot reaction.  Prep them for the types of questions they are going to be asked and how much time they will have to spend in order to complete the task.  Also, make sure to tell them what they get if they pass the assessment.  Is it an in-person interview?

There has to be a reward for the effort the candidate has put in.  If they don’t pass the assessment tell them you will inform them.  The worst candidate experience you can provide is to make a candidate take an assessment, have them fail it and never hear from you again.

If you think of assessments as a form of quality control the proper place to put them will become evident.  If you don’t get it right the first time that is okay.  Try something different, ask a different question because the truth is, we will forever be struggling with better, faster, cheaper.

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