Do you want to increase the chances of your resume and cover note making it to desk of that elusive recruiter or hiring manager? Every wonder why job postings have a funky job code either in the title or somewhere on the job posting / listing? And what does it really take to navigate the so called “black hole” of databases so many Corporations, HR Departments and Recruiters are using?

These are all great questions but unless you have worked within an HR Department or a Recruitment Firm in the past you probably know very little about the true inner-workings and why job codes are utilized so extensively in the current job market. For this blog post, I am going to cover job codes and systems from the job seeker’s perspective and how to best navigate this technology while searching for your next career opportunity.

Let me start with a quick summary of “why the job code any way.” Job codes are used when a company of any sort is working with either an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or a Human Resources Information System (HRIS). Sometimes these can be one in the same, but most likely they are not. In major corporations, the HRIS system can also be a small functioning part of the overall ERP system, such as SAP, SAGE, IQMS and hundreds of others you may be familiar with. These tools have been developed not to deter would-be employees or job applicants, but rather to better assist the recruiter, HR personnel and hiring manager on the receiving end in becoming more effective and efficient in their hiring practices.

In a nutshell, job codes allow for your resume to go straight into the exact job “bucket” within the ATS or HRIS system and to the attention of all parties involved. If your resume is just sent into the system with no job code or job identifier, well it is lost forever in the black hole we so often hear about. Let me repeat that, no job code on your application or response, no one will see your resume and you just sit idle in a sea of thousands of other applicants through the years. It’s a sad fact, but most corporations and recruiters do a very poor (if any) job of sourcing back through their own database throughout the lifecycle of a job opening. Your precious resume, that invaluable tool you invested so much time and money into if done right, is just lost data.

So what’s the trick when you see a job code and you are applying to the position? Here is the million dollar (or perhaps at least getting an interview answer)…PUT THE JOB CODE IN YOUR SUBJECT LINE WHEN APPLYING. Now systems are not fail-proof after all they are just linked tools using computer code to best capture and “parse” your information. So the more you can aid this process and help eliminate the bugs, the more you help yourself in achieving that next job. Below is an example of a how our firm, The Wellington Group, leverages the use of technology to both comply with OFCCP regulations and to ensure your resume is seen by everyone on the team working a new search.

A Craig’s List job posting has a link to our website or an email address you can apply to, CMC Manager – Regulatory Affairs. At the end of the job title you see BHJOB3594_271. This is our unique Bullhorn job code and allows you, the job seeker, to apply right to the job and be seen by Heather, Lisa and myself as a candidate interested in this opportunity. But, if you fail to use this job code when applying, we have to search back through Bullhorn each day to see key words or review every miscellaneous resume and then forward them to the appropriate job.

When you apply for a job within a system say like Taleo (you will know, look at the internet navigation bar and I am willing to bet in that line of html tag there is the word Taleo, Kenexa, Bullhorn or others) the system automatically pushes your resume to that particular job. But don’t stop there! If it allows for you to put in a subject header or free-text then make sure that job code number is listed in your response. Again, errors are frequent within these tools so the more you leverage the technology’s hierarchy of code the more you increase the chances of being seen. Below is an example of this situation.

A new Becton Dickenson (BD) job posting through indeed.com takes me to, WW Vice President, BDDS Infectious Disease Regulatory Affairs. Immediately upon clicking on this link you can see that it now has a job code at the end, REG0002D. You will also notice that although it looks like you are still on the BD site, you really are on the customize Taleo site, look closely and you will see “Powered by Taleo” on the page! Since you can apply through this system to that job AND put in additional text you can follow these tips to ensure your resume gets into this job “bucket.”

In addition to aiding the recruiter or hiring corporation, job codes can be a great clue for the job seeker. Having a job code is a true gauge about the professionalism, resources and overall investment a company has made into its recruiting and hiring practices. You see the smaller organization or the less professional or ill-equipped recruitment firm / independent recruiter generally will not have a system in place at all. Perhaps they are managing through their outlook folders or a gmail/aol account, but most certainly they are not completely complying with current OFCCP and EEOC recruitment regulations, makes you wonder? How are they tacking and managing your information and the job opening, by sheer memory?

One immediate question I will get from this post is, “will applying to only one job with a single job code eliminate me from other openings at the same company?” The answer, in true fashion, is it depends. Since most companies do a poor job of leveraging their own database and spend more time seeking people outside of it than mining the prized data they already have, I say go ahead and apply to that next job using these same techniques. This action will at least give you piece of mind that your resume is in the job “bucket” for the additional position(s). Most systems have become so intuitive that as long as your contact information and the name on your resume are the same, it will not duplicate your data in the system but rather add another note indicating your interest in multiple opportunities.

In review, job codes are not a hindrance to the job seekers but rather a great tool for the hiring authority or recruiters to notice your information ahead of the competing job applicants. In many cases, you must comply to the system requirements and apply using the job code to be considered an applicant per new OFCCP and EEOC regulations. To best leverage the technology behind this process, you should always have the job code as the subject line in your email application to the job or when applying through a job board or a corporate system (Taleo as an example) you should re-reference the job you are applying to with free-text and the job code repeated. This is but one small tip that can have a major impact on the “where-abouts” of your resume in a company’s ATS or HRIS system.

Good luck in your job search!

Chris

To hire The Recruiting Guy as a speaker or trainer visit The Recruiting Guy or contact The Wellington Group @ info@thewellington-group.com. 

…ring, ring

Me:  This is Chris

Jeff:  Chris, this is Jeff Smith, man how are you?  I need your help!

Jeff Smith is calling and needs my help?  I immediately get into my normal excited state knowing that something great is coming.  Either he needs to hire a new team member or perhaps has a client that can utilize the support of my team for their hiring needs or recruitment training.

For years Jeff was consistently a top competitor when we worked together at the same company, relentlessly trying to outperform each other in a very positive but “A” player sort of way. Not just making the President’s list but getting the shiniest trophy and most time with the CEO and other Sr Managers.

Me:  Jeff how can I help you? What is going on with the greatest global sales manager I know?

Jeff:  Nothing good, I was just released (from Fortune 225 Company) last week…

Wow, not the call I expected from Jeff. How will they manage the millions in revenues he has brought in over the years?

…Pop, pop, pop CK is sending me instant messages.

Me:  Hey CK, what’s up, how hot is your desk right now?

CK:  Not so great, I need your help.

Me:  Can you give me 5 and I will call you, where are you in the US today?

CK:  At home, not sure I can talk right now.

Ok, if CK is IMing me and needs my help then we must get ready to put a new staff member on her team or she has a project she needs us to help recruit on which they have sold. After all, she is 300% above budget for the year and the last hire we made produced revenues in her second week! CK is the top GM for her niche and is great about not only hiring, training and managing her people but also the strongest operations manager I know.

Me:  Ok, must be swamped how can I help?

CK :  Need a job, and a few minutes tonight to help me walk through where I might have gone  wrong

Me: Job? Did you quit lol

CK:  No Sir, they cut my entire staff 30 minutes ago, including me and replaced us with a support team from home office

If you have not clued in yet, the two examples above are “A” players in their industries and have been released from their respected (well not by them any longer) companies. See, I am writing to bust a myth I keep hearing and reading about from various periodicals, organizations and “people in the know;” Talent Management, SHRM, NAPS, SalesDrivers, News Paper Writers and Editors, Employment Gurus, Trainers, and Business Coaches. The myth which seems to persist is that “A” players don’t or are not being cut nor impacted by the current economic conditions. WRONG!

Ridiculous I say, spend a week on my phone or in my email and I can show you hundreds of “A” Players who have been impacted over the last 20+ months now, and it continues. For definition, an “A” Player is someone at that top 3-10% level in any company, any skill set and in any industry. Some are only known internally in large-mega organizations while others are known internationally or industry wide. It has long been a myth, and more so true with the current economic conditions, these people just don’t get released, laid-off, downsized, or whatever your terminology is for them losing their job while still being at the top.

So why do the top 10% of any job category get impacted?
Too expensive – Top 10% performers generally receive compensation rates commensurate to the level of their performance. One way companies perceive they can impact the bottom line and make true reactionary decisions is to cut the most expensive people and replace them with technology, jr-level home office support or in some cases they do nothing with the expectation that it will not negatively impact the company’s revues or client retention.

Marginalized business – Many companies and some industries operate on such low margins that any blimp on the economic cycle creates major cash-flow and credit issues, so the top just have to go and more jr people or senior management get handed business or jobs the “A” players worked so hard to attain.

Poorly supported region or geography – Lack in upper management leadership or true “out of site out of mind” support for a region that may be profitable but not large enough or unknown to senior management is likely to get the axe.

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) – As we have seen in all industries, the consolidation has created duplicate roles or left individuals and their projects totally unsupported or not needed as the new company has a different vision and/or resources.

Person was miss-hire to begin with – Some of these cases are truly a miss-hire and the company was overly ambitious or sometimes exceedingly lucky to gain the addition of an “A” player in their industry. The company has just not been able to keep pace with this individual and in many cases their production has lead to cash flow, product production or servicing issues for smaller companies

Why this blog piece? I thought it was important to highlight the reality behind the unemployment numbers as we continue to hover around >10% in the US. These 8 million or more impacted are not all the bottom performers of our workforce, nor just hourly, nor retail or manufacturing, nor in outdated industries. In fact, many were high-earners for their employers that for some reason or another their organization just could not “afford” to keep that individual onboard. So I caution, before over-looking the unemployed take a minute to truly study this individual’s background and track-record. After all, unemployed is not, and should not be a four letter word when hiring for top talent!

UPDATE: Jeff went on to take one of three offers, running the West coast Division of another fortune company. CK is managing a new company that has a unique service offering, adapted to the changed economy we now love.

Chris

To hire The Recruiting Guy as a speaker or trainer visit The Recruiting Guy or contact The Wellington Group @ info@thewellington-group.com.

Now, yes now is the time to get proactive for the upswing in the economy and the coming job market. As we headhunters know, companies are hiring again and new positions are being approved daily. And this is not just a US based movement but an international lift to the global World of Work.

Great news right? Yes, but with so many people either out a of job, in a temporary or “quick fix” job or looking to change jobs you better be ready for the competition! One of the best ways to get noticed quickly on the web in our current technological times is with an internet resume. What the heck is that?

An internet resume is quite simply a way for perspective employers and professional recruiters to find you quickly and easily on-line. More than just a LinkedIn or Twitter account, having a true-to-form resume existing on the internet, outside the mainstream jobs boards, can help you get noticed instantly and more efficiently. Without getting too technical or giving away all my trade secrets, it’s like typing in your name, experience and a company you have worked for and WHAM the internet delivers your resume right to my computer screen.

Some great examples of internet resume building and hosting resources are Google Resume, Visual CV, Resume-Builder and getmyonlinecv.com. For a little more time and investment into your future you can build your own custom site like my friend Scott Corwin has done. As I mentioned above, your internet resume should be outside a pay-to-play job board or niche network and more public so you can be found. Thus, Google, Yahoo, and personal URLs are great places to build, house and control your internet resume.

Need help developing that perfect resume, no problem as the internet has you covered. Many sites and services like CVTIPS and iProfile exist with ideas on formatting and keyword building to help make your internet resume even more attractive to current technology. Or, you can always visit us at The Career Store to receive expert advice from Linda Gutin and others on the team.

So get busy and get your resume online. How else am I supposed to find you for that next great career opportunity? Good luck. 

Chris

For questions or help on this and many other ideas on how to make your career search more effective visit The Career Store or contact The Wellington Group @ info@thewellington-group.com.

Social Media and the Corporate Impact Part I 

To put this blog piece in context, Social Media for this blog is any third party on-line or internet based networking or people-connecting tool. Examples of such are Facebook, Eacademy, Plaxo, Myspace, U-tube and Twitter. What I am not referencing are internal corporate “wanna be” social networking tools, associations (most of which have gone “on-line” now to save on cost), static websites, email, instant messaging or even the ever prevalent texting.

Why did I highlight the difference? In the next couple of blogs I will be talking about the trends I have seen and researched and the data which exists about social media or social networking and its impact to the corporate environment. Those non-social media types are many times already present in the workplace as companies provide employees with limitless emailing, cell phones (or the policy that it’s ok to have it with you and work) and texting, instant messaging solutions, web-based company portals, on-line meeting programs, and on and on.

The goal of my blogging about this topic is not to create hype or fear about allowing such uses in the work place, but rather highlight the fact that the World of Work has changed. In just a few short years we have gone from telecom and land-lines ruling the communication method and business sectors to flat screen monitors with built in web-cams on employee desks and Blackberry’s in the hand of all those around the conference table.

I hope you enjoy these pieces and please do leave your thoughts and feedback on this topic as you never know who on the web might just like what you have to say!

Chris

To hire The Recruiting Guy as a speaker or trainer visit The Recruiting Guy or contact The Wellington Group @ info@thewellington-group.com. 

Recruiting and Technology: Session 3

There was a recent discussion on ERE and LinkedIn about what a “modern” applicant tracking software (ATS) tool should include and the ROI for your business. Many of my consulting clients in the staffing or executive search business ask my opinion on, or are seeking, a new tool as the current tool they have is not being used or does not have the latest bells and whistles. Below is my response to this question, which has generated a lot of interest and discussion.

It seems people are looking to buy or enhance current ATS systems as technology continues to advance. I have done a lot of work with various ATS tools over the years through my exposure with sitting in technology positions / chairs within industry and HR associations. While I do have favorites and have gone as far as to be a SME and / or reference for 2-3 tools, I would say “it depends.” A true ATS tool used in the staffing / recruitment arena is very robust and not just a tracking and on-boarding tool utilized by HR. A true staffing / recruitment ATS tool not only tracks applicants, but is intuitive to the job order(s), client(s), and end user(s) for the candidate so one note in the system follows all points. The top tools on the market right now even go as far as to incorporate the following:

1. Web based
2. Integrated email which auto-tracks to all records
3. Third-party tool friendly (i.e. able to utilize some of the hot tools like Contact Capture and Diver)*
4. VoIP / Network phone integration for auto-dialing and call tracking
5. Can produce reports easily with NO extra costs
6. Integrates with your website
7. Email or at least sendouts tracking (are they being looked at, if so how often and by whom)
8. Applicant tracking back to the specific job (auto-parsing)

The reverse should be true as the ATS should also be able to act as the CRM tool for client management so recruiters are not trying to track down notes, a sales rep or looking through other systems to get valuable information about a client or manager. The best tools are based on a CRM platform where both the client and the candidate are treated as a potential lead and everything has a time stamped tracking (this way you can meet various employment standards and regulations by clients and the government). Bad tools make you work for it on the client side. Worse, bad tools require more tools to manage clients in say salesforce.com* or ACT.*

One should look through all the activity for your company to see just how robust of a tool you need and use this as the benchmark for making a decision. Far too many recruiters and firms jump into a tool based on costs or the friendly rep and it cost them 10 times to get out of it! If it is not easy and intuitive for the staff, it will not be used…hands down from experience!

Feel free to connect with me off-line and I can share what my top 5 ATS tools are…

*Contact Capture, Diver, salesforce.com and ACT are all trademarked products.

For assistance with your Job Search from Chris Wellington and others on the staff visit
The Career Store or Get in Touch.

Recruiting and Technology: Session 2

As I tour the country and work with various recruiters and professional headhunters I can’t help but to chuckle at the complaints the modern recruiter (corporate, executive search, staffing and basement dwellers) all seem to have. My internet is too slow, CareerBuilder is down again, my wireless mouse is not working, and on and on. It was not that long ago when we had to fax or hand deliver resumes and you were lucky to get a company email to contact some hiring manager or job seeker.

Now, I have a flat screen TV in my office and can’t live without all the small technology toys to include the so aptly named crackberry! Well most of it I can live without and probably become an even more productive recruiter and member of society, except my multiple monitors! I remember the first time I heard about running dual monitors for recruiting. I had seen the concept for call centers and IT developers but never thought it would apply to me. I was wrong.

I was attending a Top Echelon conference and one of the main presenters was hosting a training session. He had two screens being projected and showed how to run their ATS tool on one screen and look at a candidate or job order on another. What? Yeah I said that and laughed it off but Tiffany who was with me said, “Pretty cool.” Ok, so maybe there was something we were missing here. So, we asked what does it take to set up dual monitors in our office.

The set up was very easy, and after a few years now I have assisted numerous recruiters and companies, with various laptop or desk top hardware configurations, transition into the multiple monitor mode. If you are paying attention I said multiple monitors as I have found out with my laptop and docking station that I can have three monitors, and have since found a great USB product that will allow me to run up to five (yes, not enough desk space).

So why multiple monitors? As I learned at that conference; efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. I am sure there are a number of other gains like cost savings on printing, speed to market, enhanced phone time, etc. But it is great to have the resume of the person you are talking with on one screen, your ATS on another and the job order or client website on the third. Not to mention, but hey I am the boss, facebook or Yahoo IM running to see who I might ping during the day.

All told, running a dual or multiple monitor configuration is not that big of an investment, even for an entire team of recruiters and researchers. The enhancements you gain far outweigh the time and cost to set this technology up. Plus, you seem smarter to the person on the other end of the phone when you can Google a word or phrase they mention and say, “oh yeah here is what you are talking about!”

To engage The Recruiting Guy to train or consult with your staff visit our services page or contact The Wellington Group @ info@thewellington-group.com.

For those who are unaware of what Bounty Jobs appears to be here is the website; no secrets, as I truly believe success in the recruitment business all has to be transparent or the end result, the job seeker taking a position with the hiring company, will not happen. www.bountyjobs.com

Bounty, like many other “tools” or HR / Recruitment short cuts before and after them, truly does not understand the motivation of human nature. People want to communicate and be part of an engaged community. Honest people genuinely want the resources a Bounty or others can provide to help make these invaluable connections possible. Most run-of-the-mill, basement dweller or 3 month recruiters can’t provide the knowledge base, infrastructure, bandwidth or network a “tool” like Bounty Jobs promises to deliver. A couple great examples are Facebook and inside919.com. For the most part they are free and unrestricted and as a result, people are making not only money but building empires, finding careers, creating causes and even reconnecting with old friends from remote Alaska. If this is the case then why do these “tools” want to restrict the very ingredient which can make them a king’s ransom?

Here are excerpts from the “non-typical email” myself and my staff, industry peers, clients and vendors received TODAY from Bounty Jobs, cut into the pieces that one assumes to hit their message to the core.

We want total control of a process that can’t be totally controlled in order for it to be a true success.

“Unlike the typical “how it works” email… With 20,000+ registered headhunters (and counting!)…, we will be [re] moving the name of the hiring company one step further into the BountyJobs process… BountyJobs remains absolutely committed to providing an efficient communication and recruiting solution. ”

While my firm is using Bounty at the request of a couple clients, we (the team, the clients and all involved) agree the handcuffs by this “tool” inhibits communications and any chance of immediate success and long term survival of this “tool.”  How long will they be around? I am not sure, but I have seen many “tools” come and many go, with most that are remaining now on the edge of financial crises in this current economy because they do not allow for full human interaction which is the very root energy of the recruitment and HR professions.

The complete link to their new Q&A for recruiters and hiring companies on these changes can be found at: http://image.exct.net/lib/fefc1174706500/m/1/Company+Name+FAQ.pdf

My advice is think twice before engaging in these resource robbing “tools.” Take the time to ravage their sites for information on the true fulfillment rates verse just number of jobs posted and recruiters involved. After all, graduate school did teach me statistics and how numbers can always “look beautiful in the eyes of the reporter.” Best of luck in your recruitment efforts.

Chris

To engage The Recruiting Guy to train or consult with your staff visit our services page or contact The Wellington Group @ info@thewellington-group.com

 Are you keeping up with the future of being recruited? Part 1

Ok, so we don’t refer to WWW or the “World Wide Web” any more. In fact the internet has become so common place in our global society that I can talk via Polycom phone with Egypt in the morning and my family in remote Alaska in the evening without ever dialing a phone number.

WOW, technology has come a long way in a short amount of time. But as such, so has the way in which technology is used for finding a job, or better yet the job finding YOU! For example, a Plant Manager in what was once thought obscure nowhere is now expecting us to “paste and send a LinkedIn profile” of his ideal candidate(s) for a junior food processing engineer along with their resume.

Think about what I just wrote above for it was not that long ago when the Plant Manager of this facility was taking resumes from the people I was assisting via FAX. Yes, FAX. Now he wants to see what others have said about this person via social media on the internet. Better yet is the fact that he responded to my tweet about the new Facebook app for my Blackberry Bold.

So, what does that mean for you in both an active and passive job search (to be wanted is great, to be wanted when you have a great job means growth)? The hard fact is that having a professional social medial account which highlights your experience, education and accomplishments can get you to that wanted but not looking status much faster and in better standing than your peer at XYZ Company who still thinks the internet is a joke.

Your homework, pick a great social media site that people can find you on and build out your network, profile, career accomplishments and references so that next growth opportunity finds YOU before it finds someone else.

Chris

^{For assistance with you new resume visit the career store or contact The Wellington Group @ info@thewellington-group.com.}

Microsoft Word 2007, MS Works, and PDF Resumes Formats

Could Microsoft or PDF be hurting your job search?  The short answer to this question is YES.  We all know that technology has enhanced both the ability to directly seek out a new position as well as allow easier access for a hiring authority or recruiter to find you, but it is not error-proof! With the advent of auto-applying, auto-parsing, or auto anything that takes your beloved resume, that tool you put so much work and effort into, and automatically scans your information into an Application Tracking System (ATS) or mainstream job board. As you send out your resume or upload it into an on-line tool, there is a chance the format you are using does not allow the receiving party to perhaps view it at all. Most systems have either not been upgraded to work with Word 07 or PDF’s and many have never been able to interface well with MS Works.

We have experienced this challenge ourselves at TWG. Our main tool to keep track of candidates, resumes, client needs and such will work with PDF, Word 2007, MS Works format, but only if the user’s computer has all of these tools loaded on to it. In other works, like most main-stream system, we can see the true text version but when going to the original format you need to have that software loaded in order to see all the various formats available today. We see this as a short term challenge while we await the updates to our international tool to auto-convert to the original document to the proper viewing format.

So what is the solution to ensure that your resume does not get deleted, unsuccessfully parsed or just over-looked as the person on the other end is not able to open it? If your have access to Microsoft Word, I suggest that you save your resume in an older version of Word. For instance, if you have Word 07, do file, save as, and select 97-03. If sending in PDF you might want to follow-up with a phone call to ensure they were able to receive and open your resume. If all you have is MS Works or some other word processing tool (MAC for instance) you may want to take the time to see who in your network can convert your resume to MS Word 97-03.

Better yet, when applying for the job and or asked to send in your resume stop and ask, “What format does your system accept?”