Mark was the CEO of a Stage 3 successful internet startup and was having sleepless nights about his employee relations issues. He knew he was only one employee away from a wage and hour claim, his team had grown from 1 to 100, they were passionate about their business and driven to meet demanding schedules.  They didn’t want a corporate feel of policies, procedures, handbooks, but the prospect of financial ruin from noncompliance stalked him daily. He needed a Director of HR, preferably yesterday, but his informal networks yielded very little and the quality that flooded in via monster.com was not up to par.

As an internet entrepreneur Mark loved tech, so he retained a recruitment firm with their artificial intelligence and applicant tracking system (ATS) which, parsed resumes, labeled qualifications, and brand name work experiences.  The automated responses that streamlined communications, sent standardized acknowledgments, cross-referenced calendars and automated interview scheduling were bedazzling. The technology impressively cut through the resumes, sifting the colleges and qualifications.  Except for one small problem, one small, yet critical problem…  The candidates Mark was being sent weren’t bedazzling, they weren’t fast paced. In fact, they weren’t even impressive.

Communication vs Connection

You see, the problem with technology in recruiting is this, communication isn’t the same as connection.  A standardized email gets the information across, but it does not listen to the candidate’s goals and aspirations. An ATS parses a resume and ticks the boxes, but it does not know how the candidate achieved results or what hurdles they overcame to get there with grit.  An automated response (or sadly, the frequent – no response) to a candidate’s application drives the best candidates away and damages your brand.  An automated tracking system does not assess cultural fit and does not necessarily improve candidates experiences with your brand.

Connection is building relationships with candidates, getting to know their goals, their strengths and aspirations. To know what they’ve achieved, how they achieved it and who they took with them.

Connection is high touch, personally apprising them of where they are in the process, sharing your company values, and answering their most sought after questions. They can’t be vulnerable with a machine, but they can connect at their scariest moment with a human who understands their goal and knows how to listen.

91% of candidates say a potential employer’s brand plays an enormous part in whether or not they apply for a particular job. What’s more, 68% will accept a lower salary if they have a positive impression of an employer’s brand.  Your search firm represents your brand, they are the first and primary touch point candidates have. Make sure they get you. Make sure they bring your candidates an outstanding candidate experience in this critical marketplace.

Compliments

We recently received the below compliment. We’re not sharing it to blow our own trumpet (well maybe a little), but to reinforce our point that the best candidates want to work for the best companies, not the best ATS systems. Ask yourself if the recruitment process representing your company is the best?

“Shout out to ..  Peoplescape Consulting Group for great communication. I really appreciated the timely and upfront communication. Thank you so much for making my day, unfortunately, it seems a rare find nowadays to get any response. I found it refreshing and wanted to give you the accolade you so deserve!”