You Get What You SEARCH For

In our third edition of HOW INSIGHTFUL, I step clearly out of my circle of expertise and attempt to provide some insight into JOB SEARCHES. Having dipped my toe into some recruitment waters over the last 14 months, I recently can across some information that confounded my sensibilities and will attempt to provide some insights into a more comprehensive way to recruit talent.

The Recruitment Process Automated

I spent a great deal of time on my resume and its look and format. I tested the graphics placement versus known models, the correct language, and a very readable format. My new Career Coach looked at it and immediately responded : “Looks amazing, but it is not ATS-Friendly.” Huh? What is ATS?

Today, almost ¾ of all companies use some sort of automated software, called Applicant Tracking Software, ATS, to screen candidates. This was a brilliant attempt to insert some AI and some clever automation into the horrendous task of sifting through hundreds of resumes to find a candidate. The concept is pretty simple: Take the role that you are recruiting for, create a large amount of key components the desired candidate must have, and use that key word search in the submitted resumes to see who matches on the most components. The presumption, of course, being that more matches are more likely to find a better suited candidate to interview. After all, it is the interview where you can establish a true fit.

Game On!

The notion of scanning through a resume is to first find the “best interview candidates” has become a bit of a game for would-be job seekers. The first thing I did with my resume with the career coach’s advice was to go through my format, to dumb it down to better match the ATS requirements. Next was to match my skills and interests’ section to the description of the roles I was applying to, in hopes of getting a better match. It felt a bit like I was in a Tinder lineup in hoping they picked me based on my appearance and not my capability. I started to wonder how many roles prior to this was my candidacy ignored or fell short based on the match count of key words. I started to think you were likely attracting a type of candidate who knows how to “game’ systems really well; not necessarily the type of person you want tackling and fixing today’s new problems.

You see, in order for this to work properly, it must be done clandestinely without the candidate’s knowledge, as there is where you find unfiltered results. Once you tell people the rules, they immediately adjust their tactics to better place themselves in the new realm. Your results are not always the best candidates, but ones better equipped to create the illusion of the best. In fact, once of the top companies in this space do not even place GETTING A BETTER CANDIDATE in their Top 7 Benefits of the software. Why Not?

Expand Your Search

 We need to find much better markers of competence and skill in a particular area, as opposed to relying on CHAT GPT to have a candidate match themselves to you. What you particularly need to find are the aspects of the candidate’s background and history that cannot be faked or AI-tricked, like a resume easily can be.

What has the candidate done in the field to establish themselves as an expert or leader?

Who are they associated with and have work ties with that might help your organization?

How many articles or papers have they written or commented on in industry publications recently?

What is their position on AI and Machine Learning in the future work environment?

How active are they in business environments and associations that you are working in?

These are strong indicators of their knowledge and interest in the required field you are hiring into. You want to include anyone who has the right network and people to expand your organization’s current view and to gain the expertise of many in the industry from your single hire. Set a score of 1 through 5 on each one of these and INCLUDE THEM in you ATS screen.

Otherwise, you are buying products from a promo video, drafting a player from a hi-light reel, or purchasing a proverbial pig in a poke.

Where do you find greatness? You find it where greatness hangs out.