Workforce Development
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly; Recruiting in the Digital Era By: Paige Fogle, BG Talent In many ways, advancements in electronics, technology, and the internet have made all our lives so much easier; but often, I find myself tethered to my electronics, and rendered useless when something goes wrong with modern day technology, as it often does. It has opened a whole world for us, but in doing so, made the world seem so much smaller. For better or worse, it is now an integral part of our recruiting processes, and I am here to go over the good, the bad, and the ugly for both the clients and the candidates.
The Good Technology has made the job hunt much simpler. Gone are the days of shifting through want ads or solely relying on your networking ability. Today we can connect to online tools like Indeed or LinkedIn, and search for a job with extremely specific criteria. We can search by location, special skills, or salary range. Some sites will even look at your resume and find you jobs that match your work history. It is hugely impressive and lessened the headache of searching. We can explore and discover jobs we did not even realize were out there, and it has broadened our horizon on our career potential. Not only is the search much easier, but the application process is also expedited as well. As someone who personally suffers from awful handwriting, I am relieved that my messy scrawl is a nonfactor when filling out my applications online. With the simplification of the application process, we naturally can apply to several jobs from the comfort of our own homes. We can do research on the companies as we apply. This allows us to customize each cover letter with trigger words from that companies’ values! It has given the candidate an unprecedented edge.
22
Insight • Issue 2, 2021
Technology has also given us the ability to prep for an interview in new ways. A quick LinkedIn search and you can see employees from that company in your specific city; you can even dig into the LinkedIn page of the person who will be interviewing you. You have the opportunity, as a candidate, to research the company on Glass Door, see what the feedback previous employees have posted about upper management, or what the going salary is for the exact position you are applying for before the negotiation starts. All of this knowledge is power when trying to secure a position at a new company. This can give you a leg up on a candidate who decided to skimp on their research and wing the interview. Not only can you research a company, but you also have the tools to self-train through LinkedIn Premium classes, adding badges to your LinkedIn page is just another way to get you to stand out as a top candidate! Microsoft Excel also offers many training classes as a part of their software package, and a quick YouTube search could familiarize one with a skill that they have not had the chance to come across organically. From a hiring perspective, you know have the candidates coming to you. While some roles do take a little more digging, the resumes can be consolidated and condensed through job portals. You do not have to thumb through endless resumes. Employers can use tactics such as preliminary “deal breaker” questions that a candidate must answer before every submitting their resume. Simply by glancing at someone’s professional resume you have an immediate insight to their organization and computer skills.
