#TalentAttraction #Tuesday Qualified Candidates In Your Applicant Tracking System

Occasionally, I have a surreal experience while working on a Talent Attraction contract for a client.  Those moments seem to come once a decade, probably due another experience shortly.  They are okay because it gives me something to write about long after the fact.  At the same time, the experience gives an insight into how the wrong Human Resources Leaders can prevent companies from being successful in Talent Attraction.

What Does HIPPA Have To Do With Recruiting?

I realize you may be scratching your head like I was.  A recent client that was a repeat client, with a new Human Resource Manager, required me to take HIPPA training.  As we discussed the recruiting contract, I asked when I could expect access to their applicant tracking system (ATS).  She told me, “You have to complete HIPPA training before we may grant you access to our ATS.”  Since I have never seen anyone’s medical records with their resume, I asked her, “What does HIPPA have to do with recruiting?”  Her response was interesting. “Well, we are an insurance company.”  I told her that I recognized that fact but “Applicant Tracking Systems do not hold any candidate medical records.”

It was obvious we were not moving forward until I completed their HIPPA training.  I took and aced the online training course.  She forwarded a Word document for me to sign saying I  understood the HIPPA requirements.  I was happy to do so, except for one tiny issue that could have cost my client money and many headaches.  Under the line for me to sign was the word, Employee.  At this point, there was no point in calling her again with this small legal issue about employee vs. contract employee.  I signed the Employee document and changed the second document to “Contractor” and signed it.  Then I wrote a note and told her to save the document she chose.

After this entire exercise, she still would not allow a professional consultant who was hired by one of her Executives to access the company ATS.  Life for all of us would have been easier if she allowed me access because their coordinator was not much help accessing candidates.

There Is More Than One Word To Describe Sales

According to Broadlook Technologies, an Internet automation research company, there are 34 different titles relating to sales.  If your HR Coordinator only searches for Account Executives because that is the title your company uses, they will miss Enterprise Sales, Business Developers, Account Representatives, etc.

One Human Resource Coordinator, when I asked her to retrieve sales professionals from their ATS, only emailed  Account Representative resumes – all 5 of them, because that is the description her company uses.  I asked her to also search for Account Executives, and she emailed 7 more resumes.  Then I asked for Sales Professionals – 3 more.  Finally, I asked her to search for Business Developers.  She objected saying, “Business Developers are not sales professionals!” – 8 more resumes. Since I had the qualified candidates I needed, it was time to leave this frustration.

You can see how qualified candidates, using the wrong terms to describe the correct requirements and experience, may languish in your Applicant Tracking System.

Hire The Best – And Get Out Of Their Way

The point to all of these stories is, unfortunately, the companies hire people who do not understand Talent Attraction is a Sales Process.  Then those people, while trying to do the best job they can, may block a successful recruiting campaign. 

Your company has many choices to determine the best path to attract the Top Talent.  Unfortunately, while technology is great for storing and retrieving resumes, helping Human Resource Departments track recruiting progress on an opening, and making notes in candidate files, it does not build a relationship with the candidates.  Often, in fact, Applicant Tracking Systems drive the best candidates away!

If your process requires candidates to complete an application before a meaningful conversation, you will lose the best-qualified candidates. Companies have conditioned Top Talent that they will not be contacted after completing an application prior to a conversation. Instead, if they followed that process, they will languish in the ATS.

In my speech, Make Your Company ROAR (Recruit, Onboard, Actuate, and Retain), I speak about the candidates down in the Applicant Tracking System jumping up and down while screaming “Pick ME! Pick ME! Pick ME!” – but no one knows how to get them out. Is your company searching for people with diverse experience? Many keyword searches will screen them out. Searching with the right perspective and a little curiosity may help you discover some game-changing candidates in Your Application Tracking System. Otherwise they may languish and never be found.

As a Talent Attraction expert, may I suggest that you find a recruiter you trust who understands sales and relationship-building to either hire on a full time or contract recruitment basis?  They will know that HIPPA has nothing to do with recruiting.  Walk them through their recruiting process to learn their priorities and experience. Check their references (SO Important to determine Cultural Fit). Discuss their success with diverse candidates.

My skills will help your company improve your Talent Attraction processes.  Top Talent will increase company Productivity and Profitability!

I help organizations Recruit, Onboard, Actuate, and Retain Top Talent.

See you on Tuesdays!

Bill Humbert is available for Speaking, Talent Attraction Consulting, and Training contracts.

RecruiterGuy@msn.com  435-714-4425

https://www.espeakers.com/marketplace/speaker/profile/23767/Bill-Humbert

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USA 01-435-714-4425 Bill@RecruiterGuy.com

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