Recruiting In Yoga Pants

Dressing up is for suckers

Month: January 2020

Showing Your A** on Social

January 28, 2020 /

Real talk – I’ve met some of the most amazing people through Social Media. That’s right. My online shenanigans have resulted in real world friendships and I could not be more grateful.

Then there’s the asshats.

Yep, I said it. Some of you are just hellbent on showing your ass on social media. Here’s the thing you might not know about me –

I’m not afraid to show my ass too.

A visual representation of my timeline most days

I’m rather “visible” on all things social. I write, I make videos. Sometimes I put pictures of my dogs on Instagram. The only thing I DON’T do is post much about my kids. (That’s the ONE thing I keep super private so don’t even think about it). Me? I’m fair game. I speak my mind often and loudly. While I recognize I in many ways “represent” my employer, the opinions I share on Twitter or Facebook are mine and mine alone. In fact, the first time someone tagged my employer on Twitter trying to call me out for some alleged awful thing I said I cried. I thought I was getting fired – our social media team laughed and welcomed me to the internet.

Fast forward many years later to TODAY. The more my career has progressed, the more senior roles I’ve held, the bigger the companies I’ve worked for… some people just can’t help but see me as a target. There are two really weird phenomenons I’m noticing on social, and I am not quite sure how I feel about either one. Other than annoyed, of course.

The Bully Shamer

I recently went through a tough learning experience with someone I thought I knew (from IRL interactions). We’d often disagreed and poked at each other quite a bit over the years. All in good fun, I thought. Then this person started really drilling in to things like my word choice, telling me what I was “allowed” to say as a TA professional. Every part of my language, writing, and experience was picked apart. I was accused of all sorts of high crimes – most notably “shaming” of job seekers and fellow recruiters. For the most part I brushed it off, figuring this was just a little over the top ribbing that was starting to sting a bit. The final straw was when this person blocked me after publicly telling me to go f*ck myself and sending a personal message about my terrible online persona.

I’ll admit that was a tough one to bounce back from. I like being liked! It was kind of hard to think there’s a person out there who literally thinks I shame candidates and bully fellow recruiters. I have PAGES of screenshots of various interactions, and I have come to realize that some people are just not going to like you. We all see the world through the lens of our own experience. If that experience causes you to think I’m a jerk, I can’t tell you you’re wrong. But I also don’t have to stick around to listen to it.

The Tagger

Oh THIS is an old fave. I have lost count of the number of times a complete stranger has said “Amy Miller is a recruiter for @Company AND SHE DID THIS AWFUL THING!” I mean… do you think the CEO is going to call me into his or her office for a good scolding? Worse, do you think I’ll get FIRED? Is that what you want? What kind of person wants to get someone FIRED for disagreeing with them on social media? What kind of attention is it that you’re trying to bring to yourself by doing something like this? I genuinely don’t get it. While I’m careful to not talk about my current employer (whoever they may be) on social or my YouTube channel, it’s not hard to confirm. By tagging said company in whatever you’re bitching about, you really look like an asshole.

Here’s the thing about me. I believe in transparency. I believe sunlight is the best disinfectant. I will call out bad BEHAVIOR publicly, but I don’t believe in “cancel culture” or putting individuals on blast just because they say something I don’t like. In recruiting in particular, I recognize that demanding people do things “my way” or only use words I approve of is a recipe for disaster. I am guilty of speaking (typing) without thinking and have owed people apologies more than once. It’ll happen again, I’m sure.

One of the questions I often ask myself in these online interactions, is how do I want people to SEE me? I hope they see a few things.

I was helpful
I was thought provoking
I was funny
I cared

Most of all, I was authentic. If you ever meet me in person I don’t think you’ll be very surprised. My “online persona” (awful as it may be) is actually, authentically me.  And my dogs really REALLY like me. So I’ve got that going for me, at least. 😉

Recruiting IS a Service – Here’s Why

January 13, 2020 /

What do recruiters actually DO, anyway?

I answered this in last week’s AMA Friday – you can check out the video here –

 
 

So while the general idea of this week’s episode is that recruiters are NOT in the business of finding people jobs, it also created some questions. Several folks expressed some disbelief, confusion, and a couple people outright disagreed that recruiting is indeed a SERVICE. Here, in my not so humble opinion, is exactly WHAT it is that recruiters provide. Enjoy!

1. Consultation(s)
Ok then – we have a position to fill! This is where it all begins – the initial contact with the hiring team. We often refer to as an intake meeting, or something similar. Regardless of what you call it, this is the time to set some serious expectations and get LOTS of information on what exactly it is the new hire will be doing. A recruiter is not an order taker. Let me say that again for the people in the back. A RECRUITER IS NOT AN ORDER TAKER. If your hiring manager wants to hand you a job description, waves you away and tells you “I’ll know it when I see it” that is NOT a partner, you are NOT providing a service, and I am really really sorry about how much you’re fixing to hate your job. This should be a DISCUSSION (maybe multiple discussions) to fully vet what exactly is the business problem we’re trying to solve and what kind of talent we think we need to solve it. This is not a one way conversation – recruiters should also be setting expectations with hiring managers and guiding next steps/future meetings all the way through onboarding the new hire. Recruiters and hiring managers should be meeting regularly to discuss status, what’s working (or not), and keep each other informed of any new updates, changes, or challenges.

2. Search
Right! We have what we need to execute a search. Next steps can vary widely – maybe we post a really great targeted job ad (Katrina Kibben of Three Ears Media is your person if you need help here!).  Maybe you search your database (if you’re not, what’s wrong with you?). Maybe you do some deep web boolean magic. You’re probably doing all of the above. This would also be the stage where you are vetting / presenting qualified and INTERESTED prospects to your hiring managers. Clear feedback is crucial. If managers are saying NO find out WHY. It’s possible you missed something in the intake meeting. Perhaps something has changed and the hiring manager didn’t loop you in. Test and test again that you are actually searching for the right kind of person and asking the best possible questions during your screening. EVERYONE will thank you for not wasting their time.

3. Interview Process
If you’re really lucky, you’ve got schedulers and coordinators who can manage calendars. I hate this part because I SUCK at it. I can barely manage my own calendar. However, it’s my job to be a coach throughout the process. I make sure my candidates have a thorough understanding what they’re interviewing for and what we expect. I spend as much time with my candidates as they need and do my best to always be available for check ins or questions. Read more about interview prep HERE – it’s that important.

4. Closing
Yes, sadly this will be closing the loop with candidates who aren’t getting an offer. I hate this part. I hate hate hate it with every fiber of my body. But, it’s a necessary evil and important part of the process. Done decently well, these candidates will maybe take your call the next time there’s a role they might want to hear about. Then there’s the FUN closing! You guessed it, making an offer. My absolute FAVORITE part of the job.

5. Offer Negotiation
Sure, this could be part of closing, but it’s so complex I’m giving it it’s very own step. There’s usually a lot of back and forth here, and it starts way back when we’re first working on a strategy with the hiring teams (what can we afford to pay / what level are we thinking of hiring at, etc) AND kicking off with candidates (what would it take for you to say yes). These are rarely one time conversations. It’s usually an ongoing discussion that drives closer and closer to the “magic number” with every step. Don’t even get me started on competing offers and the mental gymnastics we go through trying to anticipate everything that could get in the way of the win.

6. Onboarding
Hey… you made an offer, it was accepted, and your work here is done! Right? RIGHT? Sad to say, no. It’s most definitely not. While MOST candidates will follow through with their “yes”, there are always risks here. This is often when buyer’s remorse can set in. Staying close to your candidates (and keeping your hiring managers close to them too!!) is CRITICAL. In an ever tightening labor market counter offers are more common and looking better all the time. If you’re not keeping your candidates and new hires as excited and engaged as they were when signing their letter, you’re missing a seriously important step.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list or complete description of everything related to the service (YES IT’S A SERVICE) of recruiting, hopefully it gives a bit more insight into this crazy industry. Most recruiters are doing this 10, 15, or 50 times over (ok 50 is a stretch – you can read what I really think about req loads for more on that). Not every position is created equal, and so the level of service provided can vary. Anything surprising on this list? What would you add?

AMA Friday Y’All!

January 3, 2020 /

In my never ending quest for transparency in the Recruitersphere, behold – my latest passion project –

Ask Me Anything Friday!

Every week I’ll pick a topic and address in a quick (5-7 minute) video. Let’s see how many people we can help and annoy. 😉

In today’s video, I break down the ATS!

Here’s the the deal – ATSs are a necessary evil and recruiters rarely have any influence over which ones we get to use / how they’re built. So we do our best. As a job seeker, here are the key things to keep in mind –

Resume Parsing
This is essentially the tool pulling out information from your resume/application/LinkedIn profile/whatever and putting it into the proper form fields in the ATS. Your name goes in the “name” spot. Current employer, skills, etc. That’s it. It’s not intended to shred your information, or delete your resume if it doesn’t like your font. I’ve NEVER known of an ATS that deletes resumes. I’ve seen profiles from 10+ years ago in databases I’ve worked in.

Key Word Matching/Ranking
Each ATS (and recruiter behind it) operates a little differently. Generally speaking, companies have certain compliance requirements and can only consider applicants for specific roles who meet the basic qualifications. Basic qualifications can usually be found in the job description. I pulled this example from a Recruiter posting at my previous employer –

Required/Minimum Qualifications
  • 3+ years of experience in technical talent acquisition (e.g., recruiting, sourcing), HR experience, or industry experience related to role
Additional or Preferred Qualifications
  • LinkedIn Certification
  • Preferred recruiting experience in full stack engineering disciplines; experience hiring for Devices/hardware is a plus.
  • Cleared and Govt. hiring experience preferred but not required

The only thing I’m REQUIRED to have (and which should be clear from my resume) is 3 years or more of experience. That will likely ensure a live person looks at my application. However, those additional/preferred qualifications will put me higher on the shortlist.

How Do Recruiters Use Their ATS Anyway?
That can vary widely depending on the ATS itself and of course, the recruiter. Here’s how we SHOULD be using it – as our first step in sourcing / outreach. If someone has gone to the trouble of completing an application it probably means they’re really interested in our company. Why would we NOT start there? It’s not just about active applicants for specific roles (though that’s important too). It’s searching across the whole population for people who could be a GREAT fit for a given position, and for whatever reason they just haven’t applied to THAT role.

What say you fearless readers? How has your experience been on either side of the dreaded ATS? Share your successes, horror stories, and yes, any robot sightings in the comments!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

© 2024 Recruiting In Yoga Pants

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑