Not Finding Key Talent Is Recruiting’s Own Fault
It’s both disturbing and invigorating to learn that everything you’ve done for more than 30 years was wrong. You don’t often hear that from someone who has built and sold two successful companies and who held an executive leadership position in one of the largest companies in the HR software and services industry.
While saying everything I did was wrong is clearly hyperbole, the approach we took was completely wrong in designing technology and processes to help companies hire people. Let’s face it: People don’t like job boards nor the processes that candidates must go through to get hired. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because jobs boards weren’t designed for people — they were designed for recruiters and companies. Instead, we should build job search technology for people first.
I should know because I helped create those technologies and processes that people have to jump through just to get noticed for a job opening. That’s the disturbing part.
A Better Way
Throughout my career in the talent acquisition arena, I’ve been obsessed with delivering better results for recruiters and companies. We thought we were doing the right thing by designing hiring technology and processes so that companies could find the people they want and need.
Every empty box in an online application represents some piece of data or process being fulfilled that satisfies the needs of recruiters or companies. Every delay in feedback is linked to the recruiter’s or hiring manager’s schedule. Every time a candidate is left wondering, it’s because the system wasn’t designed for them.
In the past year, I’ve come to realize that people should come first. That’s the exciting part.
The randrr Way
So, what’s next? Several weeks ago, I launched a new brand — randrr. I’m taking all that I know about recruiting technology and processes and I’m building something revolutionary — something for people first.
randrr is going to be a free jobs platform built for the common good. randrr will focus on transparency, provide contextual information about job opportunities and how people compare in the marketplace, and create more meaningful interactions between people and companies. Essentially, we’re going to empower people and give them an unprecedented level of transparency into job search that doesn’t exist with today’s job boards.
With offices in Findlay, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida, we’ve already hired developers and engineers and a chief technology officer. We’ll continue our research and gather user stories about what’s wrong with job search technology today. And we’re committed to building a free job search platform that puts people first. Ask anyone involved in searching for a new job recently and you’ll know how desperately we need something designed to empower people. Now you know why I’m invigorated.
Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
8 年My issues haven't been with job boards, but how HR types misuse the systems and let the systems do their thinking and judgment for them. The results are as we've seen. Millions of job seekers who can't understand why nobody ever gets back to them unless a miracle happens and millions of jobs that somehow never get filled for months or even years.
Wild Card - draw me for a winning hand | Creative Problem Solver in Many Roles | Manual Software QA | Project Management | Business Analysis | Auditing | Accounting |
8 年Where are the candidates in this new product? Is there going to be a place where candidates can sign up and be recruited?
Talent Acquisition Manager @ Kilian Management Services | Hiring General Managers and Managers @ McDonald's Restaurants
8 年I agree, way too many times the candidate experience is ignored. I'm curious to see how this works.
Mission-driven Leader | Corporate Strategy, Corporate Development, Strategic Business Development, Competitive Intelligence
8 年Companies have put so many false constraints on their hiring processes that many skilled and educated workers will never find a job again. I have emails to prove that, even though I have 20 good years left ( a whole new career, or half of a 40 year career), I am too old while under 50, too diverse an experience background, don't fit the mold of experienced job descriptions that only allow those whole followed one career path to even be interviewed, not a woman, recognized minority, veteran nor disabled. Therefore, my MS and MBA from top universities, diverse experience, international experience (in a war zone without life insurance nor ex-pat pay), are worthless in America and, with a disabled wife, zero income from any source and a child, little hope left. My unpaid daily job is staying current with multiple industries via newsletters, attending (and paying for) networking events where everyone's hands are tied and they can only refer me to their websites, which never works, and applying to many jobs from Indeed, LinkedIn, etc., where the auto-rejections sometimes come in less time than it took to not just upload, but re-enter all my information in flawed ATSs. I refuse any handouts, can move and travel anywhere, and am flexible with salary. I just want to apply my referral-verified work ethic and skills to feed my family. But, no, the system doesn't allow that in America (or anywhere else that I know of on this planet). Then, they have the ignorant arrogance to claim a 'shortage.' There wasn't any reduction in record immigration levels even during the Great Recession, contrary to what common sense would have dictated in policy. I have a place to stay in Jacksonville, and you have a location there, so unless you think that I have nothing to offer, and somehow think that I am not hungry enough, please consider me for a role helping to build a business that this nation, and world desperately need (people are literally dying due to today's broken hiring system; when somebody seems desperate, usually it is because they are, and only soulless, evil, selfish recruiters and CEOs would turn their backs on them). A solution (including all - process, judgment and IT) needs to be rolled out ASAP. Take care.
Helping great companies find great performers to take your company to the next level.
8 年This is going to be interesting to experience. For those of us who have done this all their careers, we've seen great advancements in technology. But, to your point, who develops that technology? - People. So, when you treat people well they thrive. I hope you thrive.