There’s probably not a week (or maybe even a day) that goes by in which we don’t read about how technology will help you in your business, whether it be a smartphone, tablet, computer, social media, applications, software, etc. I think many of us have the desire to use every type of technology available without really knowing why we “need” it. I believe it has gotten to the point that if you don’t adopt every new technology and use it in business people think there’s something wrong with you.
Think technology will fix your problems? Think again.
A Panacea?
Yes, technology is wonderful…when used effectively. That’s the caveat. Too many people have just jumped on the technology bandwagon without evaluating how, when, and why they should be using various technologies in business. It has become so pervasive that some of the tried and true methods of doing business seem to have fallen by the wayside. I’ve given a partial list of some of the technologies tools used within the recruiting industry.
1. Applicant Tracking Systems: Companies need ATS software to help manage their candidate pool. There are hundreds to choose from. Where do you start? Do you need it to integrate with payroll and HR? Why? Why not? Do you know the right questions to ask so you don’t end up with a product that doesn’t suit your needs or is so complex that your employee compliance is low? There is one very well-known company whose product I’ve yet to hear one positive thing about from any recruiter using it. Remember, just because you recognize the company’s name does not mean it’s a product you should buy or that it will suit your requirements. More “bells and whistles” are not necessarily a good thing.
2. Corporate Careers Page: How many of you have considered the pros and cons of requiring applicants to register on your careers page? Are you thinking, “We want them to register so we can have their information” or “We’d like candidates to feel comfortable coming to our careers page”? The first is about you. The second is about the candidate. I’m going to assert you want them to register so you’ll have them in your database for the times you need to search out candidates who have already applied. Probably the most significant concern for applicants is confidentiality. I know if I was confidentially looking around to see what types of jobs were available I wouldn’t want to register on a company’s website and be added to their database. There’s just no guarantee of confidentiality without knowing who may be looking at my personal information. Call me paranoid, but it’s not something that gives me the warm and fuzzy’s.
I popped onto a few sites today and one F50 company allows you to search everything they have open globally without registering for their site. Bravo for them. I also looked at several of their job postings and there wasn’t one that didn’t have at least one typo. How do you think the CEO would feel if he knew this? This is a reflection not only on the head of their recruiting organization but on the company as a whole. Are they this sloppy when it comes to building and selling software? This also tells me a lot about their recruitment department; they don’t pay attention to detail.
Before everyone gets on my case, I know we can make mistakes. I’m guilty of that. I don’t publish anything without rereading it several times. I’ll come back a week later and immediately find a mistake. It drives me crazy. Bust there is no excuse for every document published to have mistakes in it.
3. Twitter: Twitter is a fun technology tool. How does your Twitter page look to folks reading it to determine if they want to follow you? Are you spamming out tweets about open reqs or really thinking about the best way to use 140 characters? How can you capture someone’s attention and have them take notice? How many followers do you have? Are your followers really reading your tweets and retweeting them to their friends? Have you really thought out your Twitter strategy and how you should be using it for it to be most effective? If all you’re doing is barfing out open reqs I assure you people will get desensitized to them and stop paying them any mind.
4. LinkedIn: Are you using LinkedIn in the same way as Twitter? Are you sending the same messages to LinkedIn and Twitter? Do you connect with people in order to have quality connections or just for quantity? If you’re one of those people who connects to any Tom, Dick and Harry, I’d assert you don’t have a strategy. More is not neccessarily better. I know some of you will think I’m an idiot for saying it, but LinkedIn is NOT about seeing who has the most connections.
How is your profile? Is it professional? Is it complete? Is there a professional picture? If you have a picture of you with your kids, at a bar, at a sports event, etc., put it on FB. Does is look like a resume or is it conversational in nature while showing your strengths, accomplishments, responsibilities, etc? Does it have real content for someone to see what you’ve done and what you’re currently doing? If you were a candidate and read your profile, are you someone you’d want to work with or connect to? Remember that your LinkedIn profile is not supposed to look like a resume.
How are you using LinkedIn to source candidates? Are you sending emails to people or picking up the phone? Why? Why not? People are busy. Have you really thought about what to put in an email or voicemail so that there’s a higher probability of a response?
5. Video Interviewing Applications: There are a growing number of these and it feels like I’ve evaluated all of them. What I can tell you is that there’s only one I like, and this is becasuse it can be customized to suit each client’s needs. Most of the apps out there now have limited abilities or a set of questions they give you to ask in an interview. I know that wouldn’t work for any of my clients. Can a third party be on the call and be invisible? Sometimes it benefits my hiring interviewers to have me on the call and invisible and sometimes they want me to be part of the interview. Make sure you are clear about your requirements before you spend money on this “now” technology.
6. Facebook: Are you posting to your company page? Your personal page? Is it the same strategy as Twitter and LI? Do you have “friends” of the page who are going to see what you’ve posted?
7. Profiling Tools: Did you know that there are over four thousand products to choose from? It’s pretty overwhelming and every vendor wants you to think they have discovered the magic formula. These tests should NOT be used alone. They should be used only as a piece of the decision making process.
8: Telephone: You may be thinking that the phone (just the phone) isn’t a technology tool. You’re right in one respect but sorely lacking in another. How are your phone skills? Do you say “um, uh, you know” a lot to fill space? If you do, please work on fixing this. Some people may think I’m a dinosaur but I firmly believe there is no other technology more important than the phone (your oral skills). The phone is where you get to know people, build relationships, and gain trust. No other technology can do this for you. Not even lots of LI recommendations.
I’d like you to look at the examples I’ve given and put a percentage of use to each. Are you using some more than others? Why? Is the percentage you spend using 1 or 2 far outweighing the others? Is that large percent of time you use a particular technology returning that amount in candidates? In other words, if you’re spending half your time in your ATS is it generating half your candidates, and are they qualified? If not you need to reevaluate your talent strategy and see that it’s aligned to your company’s strategies.
Takeaways
The big takeaway here is that no technology will fix a process that doesn’t work, is ineffective, and/or lacking quality recruiters to implement it. Technology must be looked at as an adjunct to enhance a quality, well thought out process. It is really nothing more than a tool to help you do your job more easily.
I really want to hear your thoughts on this. My request is that you answer any or all of these questions in the comments sections (or you can send me an email directly) and ask any other questions you’d like to see addressed. This way I’ll be able to write a follow up to this post. Thanks in advance for your participation.
