Back to the Basics: Recruiting 101

By Debbie Hatke, MA, SPHR

Ah... technology. Today we have a lot more recruiting choices available to us than ever before. Sometimes it seems as if there are too many options to choose from. There are online job boards, resume banks, websites with careers pages, and social media networking - Linked In, Twitter and Facebook. These all make connecting with would-be employees free (in many cases) and easy (in some cases). Although social networking has become the norm and virtual relationships are everywhere, our online manners leave a lot to be desired, perhaps because the human element of social is often missing. Maybe it's because we're dealing with so many more applicants and are stretched for time. As professionals everywhere are figuring out how to network without physically meeting, recruiters are learning to utilize virtual networking to find and build relationships with potential job candidates. It makes achieving that coveted "pipeline" of candidates a little easier.

Despite the up-side, the use of technology in recruiting does have its issues, including contacting candidates from resume banks who never bother to respond, being spammed by the applicant who replies to ALL of your job postings regardless of qualifications and the interviews via cell phone where the candidate gets "lost" in a dead zone. Despite the sometimes ease at which we connect with applicants the process still has a few rough spots. As much as HR professionals complain about a gazillion resumes that aren't applicable, interview candidates that don't show and the bad manners of the ones that do, it seems as if the other side of the desk is complaining just as much. Yes, as frustrated as we sometimes are with the changes to recruiting and in applicant behavior, it seems that the applicants are equally frustrated with the new processes and with us.

What's the deal? Why do we seem to have taken a step forward by embracing online recruiting and utilizing Web 2.0, only to take a step backward by providing a dissatisfying experienced for our recruitment customers - our potential employees? What would happen if we dissatisfied a paying customer? The same implications of irritating a customer apply to annoying a job applicant - we could lose them as a potential employee AND lose them as a potential customer. We need to be more consumer-centric with our job applicants and raise the recruiting bar. Employers need to take notes from online consumer services giants when it comes to "satisfying" employment customers. Online recruitment, like other online marketing efforts, need to be focused on the audience, give useful/actionable information and provide a good online experience. A good recruitment experience should acknowledge the human element and leave them begging for more.

What do job seekers want? Increasingly job applicants are complaining about the hands-off nature of recruiting and the job search process. They are unhappy with the lack of communication and concern for their time and effort. They don't get acknowledgements when they send their electronic resumes and they aren't getting updates about their applicant status or when the position they have applied for has been filled. This is surprising given the nature of Web 2.0 and that fact that today's online interactions are increasingly shared experiences that have enabled the online community to connect like never before. With all this connectivity at our fingertips it seems surprising that job seekers feel less-connected than ever. Why are they dissatisfied and what are they looking for:

Respect - Job seekers would like recruiters to respect their time and effort. It takes a lot of time to search for a job; it's a full time job. They want you to acknowledge that there's a human behind that electronic resume who is desperately seeking work and you are the gatekeeper; have mercy.
Communication - The number one thing a job seeker wants to know is if you've received their resume. They put a lot of work into that baby and they want to make sure it has made it into the appropriate hands. Today's technology makes it so easy to auto-acknowledge the receipt of resumes. Likewise, with mass email, responding to job applicants takes very little time. If the job is filled or the resume was received, just say so.
Courtesy - Sometimes we forget that candidates are also customers (or might be future customers). In marketing we know that an unhappy customer can do a lot of damage by sharing their bad experiences with others. It's the same with an unpleasant applicant experience. Not only can a bad recruiting experience destroy your employment branding efforts and taint your reputation as an employer of choice, the bad vibes might not end there and could extend to the consumer side. Have the courtesy to communicate with applicants as much as possible. They've probably applied for many jobs - your job is not the only one. Your rejection is probably not the only rejection they've gotten either. Be forthright, but be kind.
Time - Job seekers spend an enormous amount of time jumping through hoops - they have to. Don't waste their time. Make sure your processes are "clean" and don't ask for too much information that will never be seen or used. Test your application process and make sure it's working and not just frustrating applicants so that they turn away. Make it EASY to be an applicant and apply for your job.

Think about your recruiting systems and processes. Are there things you could easily improve when it comes to time, communication, courtesy and respect? Do you have an ATS that allows applicants to apply online? Do you make applicants fill out a 30 minute online questionnaire AND attach a resume with the same information? Do they have to provide their social security number or birth date in order to apply? Do you realize that in today's world of identity theft, applicants are often torn between wanting to comply with your application requirements and their personal safety and security?

Don't think I believe that human resources is solely responsible for the dissatisfaction associated with today's recruiting processes. On the contrary, I have plenty to say about applicant behavior and how job seekers need to be more courteous, respect a recruiter's time and communicate. I'm just reminding those of us who recruit to keep moving forward with social networks and continue reaching out to candidates using technology - it's great stuff. But remember that electronic resumes represent human beings. Treat them the way you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes.

Debbie Hatke, MA, SPHR is a Senior Human Resources Management Consultant and Talent Strategy Manager with Strategic Human Resources, Inc. (www.StrategicHRinc.com). If you have questions or comments about this article, you can contact Debbie at Debbie@StrategicHRinc.com.