There’s a great line towards the end of Oliver Stone’s Wall Street? “Bud” (Charlie Sheen, perhaps giving us a glimpse of the future) is being led out of his brokerage, cuffed and crying, strung out on coke, greed, and stupidity – basically what he would call “Thursday” now. But, right before he is about to be escorted from the building, a colleague stops him – it’s the Mark Twain of the office, “Lou” (Hal Holbrook), ready with some cryptic wisdom for young Bud. “Man looks in the abyss, there’s nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.” (Wall Street, 1987.)
I’m making a stretch with my metaphors, but it sounds real similar to the candidate experience when applying on-line; staring into the abyss and seeing nothing looking back. What we have here is an unintended consequence of technological advancements (?).
The main culprit is the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Lest you mistake my intention here, despite the flaws in the system, they are a necessary evil. An ATS is a critical tool when managing the ability to easily catalogue the mass of resumes that flood most recruiting departments. A company has a distinct advantage in terms of archiving and storing a ton of CV’s, so compliance is definitely enhanced…are you looking for a tool to increase your CYA index? This is your kind of product.
Ahhhh, but what about the candidate? That’s where the problems begin. The The ATS gives recruiters an SEO mindset, averaging 5-7 seconds viewing time looking for a few basics; actively employed, locally based, and holds a degree. Strategic? No. Reality? Yes.
Open jobs will receive hundreds of submissions; unfortunately, unless you have dedicated Sourcing and Staffing teams, respectively, there aren’t enough hours in the day to legitmately review each one. But there may be a few things we can do to improve the current state:
1. Limit the Window of Opportunity – Close your posting 5-10 days after you activate it, then review the candidates who have applied in that time frame. Extended postings are a graveyard for resumes.
2. Limit the Channels Used – Instead of posting the job on ten different job sites, identify 1 or 2 sites that speak specifically to the audience you are seeking. If you don’t want serial applicants, don’t use serial postings.
3. Get Into the Details– More granular job descriptions that list more than hard skills; quit using templates from a position staffed the year prior, make this position into your position.
These are a few very basic changes that could be made quickly and painlessly, not to mention cost-free.
Don’t stay in the abyss.