Man Versus Machine

In a previous blog post, we shared news of a recent partnership that we've established with a start-up technology company, harQen's VoiceScreener.

Recruiter reaction to the technology, not surprisingly, has been mixed -- recruiting is, after all, a "people-sport." What would happen to the reputation and value of recruiters if technology was to take their place? Concerns about technology replacing humans predates the industrial revolution; the reality of machines replacing humans, however, hasn't come to fruition.

There are some natural reactions to new technology, not only excitement, but also frustration and fear. Usually, with time and experience, people come around to technology, finding that it's freed them up to focus on new tasks, perhaps more valuable than the tasks that are now attended to by technology. Used properly, technology doesn't replace humans; rather, humans utilize technology to improve their own efficiencies and increase their own productivity.

A recent comment from a Senior Technical Recruiter, about VoiceScreener technology: "I think if this were sent to me as a professional level candidate, I would delete it. I can't imagine working with something so 'automated.' Recruiting to me is about relationships ..."

Addressing "automation" versus "personal touch," I initially shared the same concern. What we've found, through using the tool and soliciting feedback from candidates, was that when the tool was used in addition to the personal phone interview, there was an added assurance of consistency and preparation on the part of the candidate as well as the recruiter.

Initially, 90% of the candidates that completed the automated VoiceScreener interview through Quovis had gone on to a personal phone interview with a recruiter; however, as we revised our interview questions to be more thorough, approximately 70% of candidates have gone on to a personal phone interview.  

In addition to being able to review the candidate comments prior to the personal phone interview, we'll soon be able to present the automated portion of the interview to our client hiring managers, in conjunction with the resume, interview notes, and our firm's overall recommendation. Our clients have already told us that they've noticed a difference in the quality of candidates that make it to the client interview.

Like the early days of e-mail, job boards, and networking sites, such as ERE, LinkedIn, and Facebook, this technology is now in its early-stages, but we've found that with the ability to spend more time, digging deeper into the backgrounds and experiences of the most qualified candidates, our success rates, in terms of finding a client/candidate match, has already improved.

In addition, most successful companies today are successful and will remain successful not because of their history of keeping with what they've always known, but rather because of their desire to identify and their ability to embrace change. No question, this technology awakens all of us to yet another change, but for recruiters, our clients, and our candidates to see the positives in the new technology says a whole lot about our individual abilities to thrive in a constantly changing environment.

Brian Callahan

Managing Partner

Quovis, Inc.

briancallahan@quovisinc.com

New Recruiting Technology: Increase Productivity & Improve Quality

Recently, our firm has established a partnership with a start-up company which is providing a new, patented technology called VoiceScreener, that adds significant value to the recruiting process. We're confident that over time this technology will prove to be a "game-changer," just the type of technology that innovative companies capitalizing on the slowdown will embrace.

VoiceScreener is provided by harQen, a leading web telephony company based out of Milwaukee, WI. harQen has utilized it's web audio technology platform to create an application that allows Hiring Managers and Recruiters to create and easily distribute customized pre-recorded phone interviews. The process is simple, essentially as easy as setting up a voice mail. Distributing the interview is seemless as one only needs to input an email address and the interview is sent out. Candidates can take the interview any time or place that is convenient to them, which takes away the scheduling difficulties that Recruiters often have. When an interview is completed the Recruiter or Hiring Manager can listen to the interview via the web application at their own time and place.

Since we are always looking to improve our process in order to provide better candidates to our clients, our firm, Quovis, Inc., decided to try this technology in early 2009.

Initially we saw a tremendous potential for this technology to add value to the high volume recruiting projects such as call center, production line, or companies with a constant need for sales reps. We envisioned that it would cut down the amount of time that Recruiters would spend doing a first level phone interview with hundreds of candidates, many of which we would determine to be unqualified for the position within the first few minutes of the call. We've all been frustrated by those interviews because we know our time is valuable and if we could just find a way to cut those calls short while still being professional, we would save ourselves a lot of hassle.

The question for us was whether we could use it effectively, considering we are an executive search firm. We are typically recruiting Manager to Vice President level candidates for our clients, and it is very important for us to establish rapport with candidates and develop a relationship with them. We wondered, would this technology take away from our personal touch with candidates? Would executive candidates even be interested in taking an automated voice interview or would they be frustrated by it? What we've found is that savvy candidates adapt very quickly to the new process we've implemented. Secondly, it has allowed us to dig deeper in the follow-up live phone interview, thus allowing us to present a candidate that has been more thorougly vetted. The candidates have often complimented us on how well we know their background when we do talk with them in the second interview.

If you are interested in learning more about the technology you can set up a trial account by visiting VoiceScreener -- if you have any questions, we'd be happy to walk you through the system and share our experiences with you.

Dan McGinley

Managing Partner
Quovis, Inc.
danmcginley@quovisinc.com

Hiring Freeze Doesn't Mean Recruiting Freeze

Everywhere you turn these days, it seems that someone you know, someone that you've worked with, or even someone in your family is looking for employment opportunities.  

As a Partner of an executive search firm, my inbox is full of requests from individuals that I've known and individuals that know someone that knows me -- people are worried about their professional futures and career prospects, or lack thereof.  Unfortunately, I can't change the corporate landscape or economic realities; I can, and do, however, advise, counsel, and motivate others to remain positive, knowing that this too shall pass.

Difficult as it is for those that are affected, the unemployed workforce will survive to see another day of employment.  As someone that has built a career in Talent Acquisition and Human Resources, I'm more concerned about corporations that view this time, when cutting the workforce to cut expenses, as an opportunity to cut back on their recruiting function and its talent acquisition resources.  When companies communicate to their employees, and the individuals that are interested in working for those companies, that they are in a hiring freeze, there's an opportunity missed, or at least a message that hasn't been adequately communicated.

Now, more than at any time in recent history, is when companies need to focus on their branding efforts.  To the employees working for them today, and to the millions of people in the talent pool that are currently looking for opportunities, how are those companies perceived, right now?  How would they like to be perceived in the future?  What makes them unique?  Why should a prospective employee choose them?

Now, more than at any time in recent history, is when companies need to focus on and make improvements to their recruiting process.  How have they structured their recruiting teams?  How much responsibility does HR have over the recruiting process?  How much responsibility does the Hiring Manager have?  How many interactions does an applicant have to have with the company before they receive an offer?  

Now, more than at any time in recent history, is when companies need to focus on their recruiting technology.  How have they allocated their resources?  How are they tracking their applicants?  Are they compliant?  How much time and money could be saved by investing in technology, so that human capital could be focused on human tasks?  

Don't confuse a hiring freeze with a recruiting freeze; in every interaction, with every employee, with every applicant, with every vendor, at every moment, remember that now is the time to evaluate and improve the way in which you conduct business.  Streamline recruiting.  Build a pipeline of talent.  Communicate with all applicants in your Applicant Tracking System.  Be innovative.

The companies that will thrive when the economy turns are the same companies that realize how important it is to continue being in command of their brand, innovative in their recruiting process, and embracing of new recruiting technologies.  

Hiring freezes ... these too shall pass!

Brian Callahan

Managing Partner

Quovis, Inc.

briancallahan@quovisinc.com