<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Hire Plateau</title>
	<atom:link href="http://hireplateau.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://hireplateau.com</link>
	<description>The Information Hub for Contingent Workforce, Vendor Management, and Corporate Recruiting Professionals</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:40:57 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=abc</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Corporate Mid-Market Applicant Tracking Software Trends: The hottest trends to watch in 2011</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2011/02/09/corporate-mid-market-applicant-tracking-software-trends-the-hottest-trends-to-watch-in-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2011/02/09/corporate-mid-market-applicant-tracking-software-trends-the-hottest-trends-to-watch-in-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 03:52:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Joel Passen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suppliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2011]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ATS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Usability]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=938</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, I was asked to predict the top  trends in the mid-market applicant tracking software industry that all HR executives and corporate recruiting leaders should be aware of going into 2011.  I based my picks on conversations with 100's of HR executives and corporate recruiters around the US and UK. 


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/13/7-tips-for-promoting-applicant-tracking-software-user-adoption/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 7 Tips for Promoting Applicant Tracking Software User Adoption'>7 Tips for Promoting Applicant Tracking Software User Adoption</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/06/does-your-company-have-a-socially-designed-recruiting-platform/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Does Your Company Have a Socially Designed Recruiting Platform?'>Does Your Company Have a Socially Designed Recruiting Platform?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/21/how-to-hire-a-great-recruiter/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Hire a Great Recruiter'>How to Hire a Great Recruiter</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Fcorporate-mid-market-applicant-tracking-software-trends-the-hottest-trends-to-watch-in-2011%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Fcorporate-mid-market-applicant-tracking-software-trends-the-hottest-trends-to-watch-in-2011%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>Recently, I was asked to predict the top  trends in the mid-market applicant tracking software industry that all HR executives and corporate recruiting leaders should be aware of going into 2011.  I based my picks on conversations with 100&#8242;s of HR executives and corporate recruiters around the US and UK. If I had to sum up my predictions in one line it would be: People are ready for easier to use applicant tracking software that requires less customization, less time to activate and less training.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Usability is the new killer feature.</strong></p>
<p>It can hardly be debated that most applicant management technology is way too complicated and for the most part, pretty thoughtless when it comes to user experience. The legacy ATS platforms that many businesses use to run their corporate recruiting programs are some of the least friendly, most difficult systems ever committed to code.</p>
<p>Up to this point, vendors have designed recruiting software almost entirely for what we might call a “Power User”, i.e. corporate recruiters that use it every day. For a business process like recruiting where 90% of the users don’t hire all of the time and therefore don’t use recruiting software day in and day out, this design focus leads to 10% user adoption. Standard users don’t have the time or usage frequencies that foster retention of complex features.</p>
<p>But, there is good news and yes, my first prediction; the feature arms race is over. Usability is the new killer feature. Organizations are demanding better user experience and some vendors are finally responding and acknowledging that there are other critical users of recruiting software like hiring managers and even applicants.  Every company sourcing new applicant tracking software should make usability the focus of the buying process.</p>
<p><strong>I would call this a return to simplicity but….</strong></p>
<p>I would have called this prediction, “a return to simplicity”, but as far as I can tell, applicant tracking software has never really known simplicity. 95% of the buyers that I speak with are looking for an “easy-to-use” system that offers them the capabilities to improve process, without headaches.  At the end of the day, users don’t care about the technology. What counts is what it does for them.</p>
<p>What we’ve learned is that when recruiting software achieves something valuable without being distracting or requiring hours of training, only then will it live up to its potential (legacy vendors call this concept “return on investment”). Let’s face it: it’s usually harder to do simple things exceedingly well, than to just pile up features. The 80/20 rule applies here too: do well what 80 percent of your users do all the time, and you’ll create a good user experience that promotes user adoption. That’s the goal isn’t it?</p>
<p><strong>Now that you have users, metrics can be reported, not invented.</strong></p>
<p>In the past, users of legacy ATS platforms have been forced to enter data manually to create reports in poorly conceived reporting features. Ask any corporate recruiter what they loathe about giving status and they&#8217;ll tell you that creating reports on a Friday afternoon for the staffing meeting on Monday is one of the worst things about their jobs. Well, 2011 will be the year that  smart vendors will offer advanced recruiting metrics dashboards and slick reporting functionality to provide corporate recruiting departments the ability to drive business decisions. And, it will become a heck of a lot easier too.</p>
<p>This prediction dovetails into my first two. As applicant tracking systems become more intuitive and generally more &#8216;usable&#8217;, user adoption rates will increase enterprise wide.  With more users on the platform, corporate recruiters will automatically gather more complete data that will help to identify problems and help to drive more informed decisions. New programs will not only be easier to use (you won&#8217;t need a degree in ATS reporting), they&#8217;ll also produce production quality reports that will be ready for the conference with a click of a button.</p>
<p><strong> About the author:</strong></p>
<p>Joel Passen is the Head of Marketing and a Co-Founder of Newton Software, a technology company developing easy-to-use <a href="http://www.newtonsoftware.com/">applicant tracking software</a>. Prior to starting Newton Software, Joel co-founded Gravity Technologies Inc., a company that owns and operates several autonomous businesses (including an RPO focusing on high-complexity jobs) in the human capital management industry. As the Vice President for Gravity’s RPO division, Joel led Gravity Technologies to be named to the San Francisco Business Times “Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies” list in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Fcorporate-mid-market-applicant-tracking-software-trends-the-hottest-trends-to-watch-in-2011%2F&amp;linkname=Corporate%20Mid-Market%20Applicant%20Tracking%20Software%20Trends%3A%20The%20hottest%20trends%20to%20watch%20in%202011"><img src="http://hireplateau.com/wp-content/themes/hire_plateau/images/share.png" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a> </p>

<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/13/7-tips-for-promoting-applicant-tracking-software-user-adoption/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 7 Tips for Promoting Applicant Tracking Software User Adoption'>7 Tips for Promoting Applicant Tracking Software User Adoption</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/06/does-your-company-have-a-socially-designed-recruiting-platform/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Does Your Company Have a Socially Designed Recruiting Platform?'>Does Your Company Have a Socially Designed Recruiting Platform?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/21/how-to-hire-a-great-recruiter/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Hire a Great Recruiter'>How to Hire a Great Recruiter</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2011/02/09/corporate-mid-market-applicant-tracking-software-trends-the-hottest-trends-to-watch-in-2011/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Must Be This Tall to Ride</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2011/01/05/must-be-this-tall-to-ride/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2011/01/05/must-be-this-tall-to-ride/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:05:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kirk Baumann</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[career advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Job Requirements]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=930</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the job market the way it is, I can see how people are simply applying to as many open positions as they possibly can.  It’s called the “spray and pray” technique.  It doesn’t seem to work very often, but the theory is that if you apply for so many jobs, you’re sure to land one.  People are applying for positions that they don’t have the minimum qualifications for on a “what if” basis.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/14/recruiting-its-more-than-just-showing-up/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Recruiting: It&#8217;s More than Just Showing Up'>Recruiting: It&#8217;s More than Just Showing Up</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/07/be-prepared-is-it-your-motto/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Be Prepared: Is It YOUR Motto?'>Be Prepared: Is It YOUR Motto?</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fmust-be-this-tall-to-ride%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fmust-be-this-tall-to-ride%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>Have you been to an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusement_park" target="_blank">amusement park</a> recently?  Once you get past the overcrowded parking lots, stand in line for tickets, (just to stand in line more once inside), and finally get to the roller coaster where people of all ages squeal in anticipatory delight, you’ll notice a small, sign at the entrance of every attraction.  “<em><strong>You must be this tall to ride this ride</strong></em>.”  There are no negotiations for those that don’t meet the requirements.  No if’s, and’s or but’s.  If you don’t believe me, try going with a 3-year old.  You’ll be spending a lot of time in the petting zoo feeding animals that are “tame” and have that wonderful odor of oats, barley and whatever else is in the feed.</p>
<p>No matter how much that 3-year old boy wanted to ride the roller coaster like the big kids, the staff were unwilling (and legally unable) to make an exception.  In the job search, the same principle applies.  You’ve got to meet the minimum requirements listed in job descriptions to even be considered for the position.  From a recruiter’s perspective, minimum qualifications or requirements are the first phase of filtering out the clutter.  Don’t meet them?  Consider your application in File 13 (aka the trash).  If they’re nice and have a little extra time (most don’t have the latter), your resume might get saved in the “other opportunities” pile for follow up.</p>
<p>With the job market the way it is, I can see how people are simply applying to as many open positions as they possibly can.  It’s called the “spray and pray” technique.  It doesn’t seem to work very often, but the theory is that if you apply for so many jobs, you’re sure to land one.  People are applying for positions that they don’t have the minimum qualifications for on a “what if” basis.  What if the hiring manager would make an exception?  At one point, this may have worked.  But, with the overabundance of applicants to open positions today, you can bet that 99.99% of the time the person that is <em>most qualified</em> is offered the job.  Spray and pray does work from <em>time to time</em>, but I wouldn’t suggest the tactic.  Instead, here are my three suggestions:</p>
<p><strong>Target your approach. </strong>What is your end goal?  Begin with this in mind.  Entry-level jobs will help you gain experience that will be needed for the next position.  Think about what you want to accomplish, have a plan, and execute accordingly.  Targeting your approach will give you better direction and in the end, can prove to be very beneficial!</p>
<p><strong>Know if you’re qualified. </strong>Minimum qualifications -<strong> </strong>do you have 10-15 years of experience in the field relevant to the posted career opportunity?  If you don’t, don’t apply!  Know your <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/do-not-apply-for-jobs-for-which-you-are-not-qualified-2395428.html" target="_blank">qualifications</a>.  If you have 9 years when 10 are preferred, you may have a shot.  But, if you just graduated college and have applied for an opportunity that lists 5+ years of experience as a prerequisite, chances are that you’re not qualified.  Also, pay special attention to the <a href="http://jobsearch.about.com/od/relocating/a/relocationtip.htm" target="_blank">location requirements</a>.  If the position is in New York, China, or Arkansas, don’t expect that you won’t have to move there.  You will.  That’s where the job is based, not just where you are comfortable living.  This applies to many positions, but there are some exceptions.  Check these things before you apply.</p>
<p><strong>If you’re not qualified, know what to do. </strong>Not qualified for the position you’re interested in?  What can you do?  You could look at it this way: think of the job as a goal to achieve.  With the right knowledge base, skillset and experience, you can become qualified in the long run.  Right now, know what you need to do to gain that knowledge.  <a title="Be Prepared: Is It YOUR Motto?" href="http://campus-to-career.com/2010/09/07/be-prepared-is-it-your-motto/" target="_blank">Research</a> the field, job shadow with people in that position, gather information from following industry-related blogs, reading trade publications, or simply networking with the right people.  Do what it takes to establish yourself as a credible person of authority and qualified candidate.</p>
<p>Target your approach, know if you’re qualified, and know what to do if you’re not.  These are three steps to help you land the job of your dreams.  <a title="HOW TO: Work with Recruiters" href="http://campus-to-career.com/2010/11/02/how-to-work-with-recruiters/" target="_blank">Recruiters</a> are ordinary people, too.  Most read through thousands of resumes just to find that perfect candidate.  Help them help you by applying for the positions you’re qualified for.  If you don’t know if you’re qualified, ask someone.  There are a ton of career experts out there offering free and fee-based services and advice if you just ask.  Some good ones are listed in my blogroll to help you if you need it.</p>
<p>The amusement park metaphor can be applied to your career and life in general.  Life is a roller coaster – exciting and scary at the same time, leaving us with a feeling of exhilaration and an adrenaline shot to get us through the next drop or upside-down loop.  Principles for roller coasters and the job search go hand in hand.  Knowing your qualifications and how to apply them will help you find the best fit at the right time.</p>
<p>So, here’s the question: <span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><em>Are you tall enough to ride?</em></strong></span></p>
<p>Image courtesy of <strong><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonandwinnie/">winnie0917</a></strong></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/14/recruiting-its-more-than-just-showing-up/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Recruiting: It&#8217;s More than Just Showing Up'>Recruiting: It&#8217;s More than Just Showing Up</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/07/be-prepared-is-it-your-motto/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Be Prepared: Is It YOUR Motto?'>Be Prepared: Is It YOUR Motto?</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2011/01/05/must-be-this-tall-to-ride/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Forecasting Industry Trends by Analyzing the Individual Company</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2010/12/17/forecasting-industry-trends-by-analyzing-the-individual-company/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2010/12/17/forecasting-industry-trends-by-analyzing-the-individual-company/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:55:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Bucks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[VMS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HR Practices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HR Trends]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=922</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At 11:00 am on December 14th, Susan Driscoll from Compuware, the global leader in Technology Performance Solutions, spoke on best practice recruitment metrics and ROI. I, myself, am a huge fan of Susan as she has a great deal of knowledge on HR practices and she speaks on the subject in such an unerringly articulate way.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2011/02/09/corporate-mid-market-applicant-tracking-software-trends-the-hottest-trends-to-watch-in-2011/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Corporate Mid-Market Applicant Tracking Software Trends: The hottest trends to watch in 2011'>Corporate Mid-Market Applicant Tracking Software Trends: The hottest trends to watch in 2011</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/18/the-difference-between-high-volume-and-high-complexity-recruiting/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Difference Between High Volume and High Complexity Recruiting'>The Difference Between High Volume and High Complexity Recruiting</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/06/does-your-company-have-a-socially-designed-recruiting-platform/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Does Your Company Have a Socially Designed Recruiting Platform?'>Does Your Company Have a Socially Designed Recruiting Platform?</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F12%2F17%2Fforecasting-industry-trends-by-analyzing-the-individual-company%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F12%2F17%2Fforecasting-industry-trends-by-analyzing-the-individual-company%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Two days ago I was on a webinar that was truly fantastic. And, I would just like re-share my thoughts with you about this webinar.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">At 11:00 am on December 14th, Susan Driscoll from Compuware, the global leader in Technology Performance Solutions, spoke on best practice recruitment metrics and ROI. I, myself, am a huge fan of Susan as she has a great deal of knowledge on HR practices and she speaks on the subject in such an unerringly articulate way.</p>
<p>It is this information that fuels researchers and industry experts. As an HR blogger, researching is a big part of what I do and anytime I can learn a bit more on the HR industry, well, that’s always a plus. However, more often than not, I find myself learning about the latest high level industry trends. And, while that’s helpful, I need more!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>More</strong></span>:</p>
<p>So, what is my definition of more? In this case, the supporting evidence behind those high level industry trends. It&#8217;s great to know where we are going, but how did we get there?</p>
<p>When the HR industry moves in a certain direction, we all know why that happens&#8230;because a bunch (exaggerate that word as much as you want) of companies across the market begin doing things in a new and more efficient way, causing even more companies to follow suit and industry trends to be born. Therefore, to understand <em>where </em>these industry trends are going 10, 20, even 25 years from now, fundamentals suggest looking at the piece that moves those trends in the first place: the single company.</p>
<p>These single companies are performing in such a way that onlookers are influenced. Best practices are mirrored and soon enough you have your high level industry trend.</p>
<p>Take the social media trend. Since its emergence, there has been an exponential increase in the number of companies leveraging social media to either actively or passively recruit. So, what companies started that trend, or at least, who were the early adopters?? Those companies benefited so much so that other companies desired the same, and the social recruiting frenzy emerged. Wouldn&#8217;t it have been great to have heard from those early adopters as they were seeing those positive results? I think so.</p>
<p>So, what does this have to do with Susan Driscoll? Well, now we have the opportunity to hear from one of those single companies who may influence that next round of industry improvements. Compuware has created an effective and successful recruitment program by analyzing and optimizing certain metrics. If recruiting metrics apply to you, I highly recommend listening to the webinar.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">****</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Now that the event is over, the audio and PowerPoint slides are available free to everyone at <a href="http://bit.ly/gKAGwf" target="_self">www.icims.com/resourcecenter</a>.  Just click on the webcasts tab and it&#8217;s the first webinar posted.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I wanted to share this with you because:</p>
<ol>
<li>Compuware&#8217;s efficiencies may just be tomorrow&#8217;s trends. So simply, it&#8217;s plain old interesting!</li>
<li>Leveraging Susan&#8217;s explanations and processes may help you power your recruitment program today, not tomorrow.</li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck with your recruitment success and happy holidays!</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F12%2F17%2Fforecasting-industry-trends-by-analyzing-the-individual-company%2F&amp;linkname=Forecasting%20Industry%20Trends%20by%20Analyzing%20the%20Individual%20Company"><img src="http://hireplateau.com/wp-content/themes/hire_plateau/images/share.png" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a> </p>

<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2011/02/09/corporate-mid-market-applicant-tracking-software-trends-the-hottest-trends-to-watch-in-2011/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Corporate Mid-Market Applicant Tracking Software Trends: The hottest trends to watch in 2011'>Corporate Mid-Market Applicant Tracking Software Trends: The hottest trends to watch in 2011</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/18/the-difference-between-high-volume-and-high-complexity-recruiting/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Difference Between High Volume and High Complexity Recruiting'>The Difference Between High Volume and High Complexity Recruiting</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/06/does-your-company-have-a-socially-designed-recruiting-platform/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Does Your Company Have a Socially Designed Recruiting Platform?'>Does Your Company Have a Socially Designed Recruiting Platform?</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2010/12/17/forecasting-industry-trends-by-analyzing-the-individual-company/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 2)</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/30/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-2/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/30/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:04:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter Parks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[IT Exec]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suppliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VMS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Best Practices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contingent Workforce]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=917</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Think about adding visibility and audit trails to competitive bidding among suppliers.  Take that to the next level and allow suppliers to deliver innovative solutions that can save your organization time and money. Most companies have limited or no visibility into how their SOWs are constructed.  


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/23/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-1/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 1)'>SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 1)</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/04/managing-workforce-risk-part-ii/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Workforce Risk &#8211; Part II'>Managing Workforce Risk &#8211; Part II</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/10/screening-your-contingent-workforce/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Screening Your Contingent Workforce: What HR Pros Should Know'>Screening Your Contingent Workforce: What HR Pros Should Know</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F11%2F30%2Fsows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-2%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F11%2F30%2Fsows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-2%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>In my <a href="http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/23/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-1/" target="_blank">last post</a>, I discussed some of the reasons SOW spend is often a second-tier priority in contingent workforce programs.  Here, I want to cover the opportunities companies have to apply best practices to their services spend.</p>
<p>Think about adding visibility and audit trails to competitive bidding among suppliers.  Take that to the next level and allow suppliers to deliver innovative solutions that can save your organization time and money.</p>
<p>Most companies have limited or no visibility into how their SOWs are constructed.  Project managers are pre-defining the deliverables, setting the price and selecting the supplier.</p>
<p><strong>Imagine a program in which:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Suppliers are vetted for their capabilities, certifications and pricing and tracked against SLAs.</li>
<li>Your organization leverages a central supply base across multiple departments, operating companies and disciplines and by doing so you achieve volume discounts.</li>
<li>You engage multiple suppliers on every bid and they know they are competing.</li>
<li>You enable and encourage your project managers to negotiate.</li>
<li>Project managers receive multiple proposals from each supplier, sharing best practices from their own customers – often your competitors – on how to best execute a project (a true best practice).</li>
<li>Supplemental resources such as your procurement and legal departments are incorporated into the process at the points where they add essential value.</li>
<li>You have a robust analytics engine that enables you to track negotiation, ensure SLAs are being met, track project progress and billing and identify misclassified resources.</li>
</ul>
<p>Just getting spend into the system will continue to yield minimal returns for most programs.  With proper planning, VMS users can repeat the revolution that has improved contingent workforce management and take savings to a level never before seen.  How much are you leaving on the table?</p>
<p><em>This post was syndicated with approval from author. The original post can be seen on the <a title="Provade Blog" href="http://www.provade.com/blog/" target="_blank">Provade Blog</a>.</em></p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F11%2F30%2Fsows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-2%2F&amp;linkname=SOWs%3A%20Get%20More%20from%20your%20VMS%20%28Part%202%29"><img src="http://hireplateau.com/wp-content/themes/hire_plateau/images/share.png" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a> </p>

<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/23/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-1/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 1)'>SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 1)</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/04/managing-workforce-risk-part-ii/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Workforce Risk &#8211; Part II'>Managing Workforce Risk &#8211; Part II</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/10/screening-your-contingent-workforce/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Screening Your Contingent Workforce: What HR Pros Should Know'>Screening Your Contingent Workforce: What HR Pros Should Know</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/30/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 1)</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/23/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-1/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/23/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Nov 2010 01:19:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter Parks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[IT Exec]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suppliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VMS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contingent Workforce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Procurement]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=910</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of, if not the, hottest topics in the VMS / MSP world is SOW (“Services Procurement” or “Projects”).  It appears to me that the primary driver for the excitement is the considerable spend in this category.  Customers and providers recognize that it is like “leaving money on the table” to implement a VMS technology and leave a significant share of your services spend outside the system.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/30/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 2)'>SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 2)</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/reduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Reduce our National Debt by Fixing the Broken Recruitment Process'>Reduce our National Debt by Fixing the Broken Recruitment Process</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/10/screening-your-contingent-workforce/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Screening Your Contingent Workforce: What HR Pros Should Know'>Screening Your Contingent Workforce: What HR Pros Should Know</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F11%2F23%2Fsows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-1%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F11%2F23%2Fsows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-1%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>One of, if not <em>the</em>, hottest topics in the VMS / MSP world is SOW (“Services Procurement” or “Projects”).  (Click <a title="here" href="http://www.provade.com/industry-terms/" target="_blank">here</a> for definitions.)  It appears to me that the primary driver for the excitement is the considerable spend in this category.  Customers and providers recognize that it is like “leaving money on the table” to implement a VMS technology and leave a significant share of your services spend outside the system.</p>
<p>So, we are starting to see more companies incorporating services procurement / SOW spend into their MSP or VMS program.  But too often the vision is limited to getting the spend into the system.  Unlike the traditional contingent workforce process, where over a decade of focus has resulted in best practices, process improvement and innovation, SOW spend remains largely a sacred cow, not an area where innovation is welcome or even allowed.</p>
<p>When planning to introduce SOW into a program, companies often document precisely how the process is run today and send it to their providers with the message, “call us when you have enabled this exact process in the technology and program”.  In most cases, this is not one process but a lengthy list of processes by department, or even down to the individual project manager level.</p>
<p>Why do organizations fail to apply the same scrutiny to the existing SOW processes that they routinely apply to their own contingent or T&amp;M (time and materials) spend?  A few reasons I have experienced are:</p>
<ul>
<li>The user communities in SOW and traditional contingent workforce do not overlap.</li>
<li>The programs are often initiated by stakeholders primarily responsible for contingent spend only.</li>
<li>SOW has been a “black box” and has developed an almost mystical reputation; “their processes are so complex and so specialized – they do things in there that no one else understands”.</li>
</ul>
<p>Well, it is possible to review SOW spend <em>before</em> it is introduced into the program and apply the same examination of process, supply base, rates and best practice to be performed across the board.  Instead of using your VMS as a repository for deals that have already been struck through the mystical process, use it as the tool it is designed to be used.  In my next post in this series, I’ll share some practical ways for you to stop leaving money on the table and inprove your services procurement process.</p>
<p><em>This post was syndicated with approval from author. The original post can be seen on the <a title="Provade Blog" href="http://www.provade.com/blog/" target="_blank">Provade Blog</a>.<br />
</em></p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F11%2F23%2Fsows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-1%2F&amp;linkname=SOWs%3A%20Get%20More%20from%20your%20VMS%20%28Part%201%29"><img src="http://hireplateau.com/wp-content/themes/hire_plateau/images/share.png" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a> </p>

<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/30/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 2)'>SOWs: Get More from your VMS (Part 2)</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/reduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Reduce our National Debt by Fixing the Broken Recruitment Process'>Reduce our National Debt by Fixing the Broken Recruitment Process</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/10/screening-your-contingent-workforce/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Screening Your Contingent Workforce: What HR Pros Should Know'>Screening Your Contingent Workforce: What HR Pros Should Know</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/23/sows-get-more-from-your-vms-part-1/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Prepare your employer brand for the tsunami</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/03/prepare-your-employer-brand-for-the-tsunami/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/03/prepare-your-employer-brand-for-the-tsunami/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Nov 2010 01:48:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John Cloonan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[VMS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Candidate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=901</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Your employer brand will become ever more important. Don’t wait until the tsunami hits – by then it will be too late to differentiate yourself from others. A few basic concepts that will help with the employer brand.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/01/the-changing-employment-landscape/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Changing Employment Landscape'>The Changing Employment Landscape</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/24/do-candidates-think-you-represent-a-best-company-to-work-for/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Do Candidates Think You Represent a &#8220;Best Company to Work For&#8221;?'>Do Candidates Think You Represent a &#8220;Best Company to Work For&#8221;?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/27/think-global-act-local-with-your-personal-brand/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Think Global, Act Local (with Your Personal Brand)'>Think Global, Act Local (with Your Personal Brand)</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F11%2F03%2Fprepare-your-employer-brand-for-the-tsunami%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F11%2F03%2Fprepare-your-employer-brand-for-the-tsunami%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>The recent flip-flop by Gap in their choice of logo illustrates the power of the consumer in brand decisions. But really, the consumer has always had this power – the internet and social media has just sped the plow. We marketers love the idea that we’re in control. We carefully craft messages and choose channels to reach our carefully selected target audience, who we track relentlessly.</p>
<p>But really, it’s all an illusion. It always has been. We don’t create brand perception, we influence it through our actions and messages.</p>
<p>Extend that idea to job candidates. You’re probably not thinking about them much these days, between slow economic growth and high unemployment. It’s likely that you either aren’t hiring or that you have a pretty large candidate pool. Supply is outstripping demand.</p>
<p>It’s not going to stay that way. Recessions historically are followed by roughly 5 years of growth, which will create a talent shortage.  Also, recent research by Regus and Rasmussen Reports indicate that anywhere from 27% to 40% of people currently working are going to look outside their current company to change jobs.  Lou Adler of the Adler Group has predicted a “<a href="http://www.metrochicagojobs.com/articles/title/Are-You-Ready-for-the-Upcoming-Hiring-Tsunami/4044/301">Hiring Tsunami</a>,”where millions of employees will change jobs during a 6-month period looking for greener pastures, discover that their new jobs aren’t any better than their old ones, and then change again.</p>
<p>When that happens, your employer brand will become ever more important. Don’t wait until the tsunami hits – by then it will be too late to differentiate yourself from others. A few basic concepts that will help with the employer brand:</p>
<p><strong>Simplify. </strong>While in the current environment candidates may put up with about anything to get a job, it’s not likely to stay that way. Make it easy to find the careers page on your website. Have a good search mechanism to find relevant jobs. (That makes it easier on you, too, by allowing candidates to self-qualify.) Don’t make candidates retype their résumés into your online job application – invest in technology to do it for them.</p>
<p><strong>Communicate. </strong>There is nothing candidates hate more than a black hole. Consider how disheartening it is to apply for a position or send in a résumé and never hear any response. And by the way, the automated “Thank you for applying” e-mail doesn’t count. At minimum, make sure that candidates know when a position closes. Most applicant tracking systems will send that e-mail for you when you close the requisition. On that e-mail template, however, encourage candidates to seek other opportunities within your company. And no, candidates don’t believe that their résumé will be on file and considered for other positions.</p>
<p>Another communication to consider is actually e-mailing job openings to candidates who have applied in the past for other positions. Make sure this is an opt-in list for CAN-SPAM compliance, but these types of updates can have very high ROI. In a previous position at a medical staffing company, I created a direct e-mail campaign for traveling allied health professionals where they received open positions in their skill set and chosen geographies. <strong><em>This campaign had a 30-day ROI of over 1,000%, and an ongoing ROI consistently over 200%.</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>Demonstrate. </strong>It’s great on your careers website to tell candidates what it’s like to work at your company, but to be credible, show them. Profiles of successful employees, employee blogs, video interviews with successful employees, company event videos, photos of your workspaces, insights from senior leadership and any other way you can show candidates what it’s like to work for your company are invaluable. You create great employer brand equity and credibility through these types of demonstrations.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/01/the-changing-employment-landscape/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Changing Employment Landscape'>The Changing Employment Landscape</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/24/do-candidates-think-you-represent-a-best-company-to-work-for/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Do Candidates Think You Represent a &#8220;Best Company to Work For&#8221;?'>Do Candidates Think You Represent a &#8220;Best Company to Work For&#8221;?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/08/27/think-global-act-local-with-your-personal-brand/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Think Global, Act Local (with Your Personal Brand)'>Think Global, Act Local (with Your Personal Brand)</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2010/11/03/prepare-your-employer-brand-for-the-tsunami/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Client Wants a Discount? Don’t talk dollars, talk value</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/client-wants-a-discount-don%e2%80%99t-talk-dollars-talk-value/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/client-wants-a-discount-don%e2%80%99t-talk-dollars-talk-value/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:14:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Greg Savage</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suppliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VMS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contingent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Discounts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=887</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s a fact of recruiting life that clients will push you to negotiate your fees. And with so many recruiters quick to drop fee percentages to secure briefs, that can be a hard discussion to deal with.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/11/recruiters-this-is-how-you-sell-exclusivity-to-clients/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Recruiters: This is how you sell exclusivity to clients'>Recruiters: This is how you sell exclusivity to clients</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-three/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part III'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part III</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/reduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Reduce our National Debt by Fixing the Broken Recruitment Process'>Reduce our National Debt by Fixing the Broken Recruitment Process</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Fclient-wants-a-discount-don%25e2%2580%2599t-talk-dollars-talk-value%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Fclient-wants-a-discount-don%25e2%2580%2599t-talk-dollars-talk-value%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>It’s a fact of recruiting life that clients will push you to negotiate your fees. And with so many recruiters quick to drop fee percentages to secure briefs, that can be a hard discussion to deal with.</p>
<p>The starting point for successful fee negotiations is, strangely enough, to get the conversation off the fee percentage, and on to the question of what it is your fee is actually for.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="289" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mwQor-lVLFk&amp;hl=en_US&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;version=3" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="289" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mwQor-lVLFk&amp;hl=en_US&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;version=3" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>And of course, bundled up in that conversation, is your ability to sell your differentiator. What have you got and what do you do that gives your client special value? That’s where you want to focus. At <a href="http://www.firebrandtalent.com/media-room/media-detail.dot?inode=e9488345-29d1-4147-8931-3a8b8e140e32" target="_blank">Firebrand Talent Search</a> we emphasize our niche focus, our unmatched access to creative, marketing and digital talent, our multiple branches in Asia Pacific and Europe, our specialist knowledge and understanding of clients needs, our proprietary testing software which means we know candidates have the design skills we say they do, and then we wrap all this up in 110% money back guarantee.</p>
<p>But all recruiters will have differentiators, and it’s important you know how to articulate them.</p>
<p>So when a client does ask you to drop your fee, go through your entire recruitment process explaining all the things you do to secure the right person. Take your time. Start at the beginning and don’t miss anything out. Talk about your screening, your interviewing, your talent generation strategies such as social media and networking. Talk about your database and the fact you have several offices tapping into talent. Explain how you act as an advocate for the client, and how you will qualify each candidate in terms of fit, salary and skills. When you drill down on this, you find we do a lot!</p>
<p>That’s the point. Tell your client.</p>
<p>Then, and only then, ask the client why she feels a reduced fee is appropriate. This is important. Get the ball firmly into the client’s court. The client is asking for a discount. She should be squirming – not you. When it comes to fee discounts you don’t have to justify why not – she has to justify why!  It’s a shift in the dynamic and it’s very powerful indeed.</p>
<p>Its not as simple as this of course, many clients will continue to push for a fee discount regardless, and then you have to make a commercial decision. But the starting point is not to haggle over a number. Get the attention of the service you provide.</p>
<p>Talk about what you do, explain your process and your insights and your connections and your value adds.</p>
<p>That’s a far better place to start a discussion on discounts!</p>
<p><em>This post was syndicated with approval from author. The original post can be seen on <a href="http://gregsavage.com.au/2010/10/19/client-wants-a-discount-don%E2%80%99t-talk-dollars-talk-value/" target="_blank">The Savage Truth</a></em></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/11/recruiters-this-is-how-you-sell-exclusivity-to-clients/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Recruiters: This is how you sell exclusivity to clients'>Recruiters: This is how you sell exclusivity to clients</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-three/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part III'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part III</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/reduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Reduce our National Debt by Fixing the Broken Recruitment Process'>Reduce our National Debt by Fixing the Broken Recruitment Process</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/client-wants-a-discount-don%e2%80%99t-talk-dollars-talk-value/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part III</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-three/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-three/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Oct 2010 03:53:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bradley Savoy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suppliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VMS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring Manager]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lean Human Capital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SLA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=881</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our final post of the series will focus on how to effectively manage the hiring manager relationship. One important step in the management of any consultative relationship is the ability to establish a strong foundation to the partnership (yes, you’re the recruiting consultant to your hiring manager!).


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/08/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-one/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part I'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part I</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/14/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-two/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part II'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part II</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/06/managing-candidates%e2%80%99-salary-expectations/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing candidates’ salary expectations'>Managing candidates’ salary expectations</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Fmanaging-your-hiring-managers-part-three%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Fmanaging-your-hiring-managers-part-three%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>We recently posted the first of three parts in our series about <strong><em>Managing Your Hiring Managers. (<a href="http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/08/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-one/">Part One</a>, <a href="http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/14/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-two/">Part Two</a>) </em></strong>We discussed how to understand what your hiring manager’s want through Voice of the Customer (VOC) and how to build credibility with your hiring managers.</p>
<p>Our final post of the series will focus on how to effectively manage the hiring manager relationship.</p>
<p><strong>Effectively Managing the Hiring Manager relationship </strong></p>
<p>So, you’ve spent a great deal of time assessing your hiring manager’s needs through Voice of the Customer, and you’ve worked hard to establish credibility.  Now, if you don’t effectively manage the relationship with them then all of your efforts will be wasted!!</p>
<p>One important step in the management of any consultative relationship is the ability to establish a strong foundation to the partnership (yes, you’re the recruiting consultant to your hiring manager!).  This starts when consultants engage with clients in the initial intake session.</p>
<p><strong>Intake Session = Foundation</strong>:  If you have a good intake session then you have a strong foundation to build a relationship! A good intake session is not only about uncovering the basic wants and needs of your hiring manager but it will allow you to explore the position in great detail as well, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Why is the position open?</li>
<li>What are the top 3-5 key objectives for someone in this position?</li>
<li>What are the challenges a person will face in this position?</li>
<li>How is performance measured?</li>
<li>What is your hiring managers style/personality/culutre</li>
<li>Sourcing Strategy questions
<ul>
<li>Who are some of your top performers that I could network with?</li>
<li>Who are some of the top performers externally that you’re aware of?</li>
<li>Are you aware of any companies that might be struggling that I could tap into?</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>What are the selling points of the position?</li>
<li>What “knock out” questions do you suggest I use?</li>
<li>What is our Service Level Agreement?</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.recruiteracademy.com/register.php?doc=TheMostImportantServiceLevel042110.pdf">Establishing a Service Level Agreement </a>(SLA) is a key step in effectively managing the hiring manager relationship.  It sets expectations in advance, for both you and your hiring manager about who is going to do what during the hiring process and how long it’s going to take.</p>
<p>For example, a well crafted SLA will outline how quickly you will be expected to provide qualified and interested candidates as well as how quickly your hiring manager will respond once you have submitted an initial slate of candidates.</p>
<p>If you’d like to see an example of our intake and SLA documents <a href="mailto:bsavoy@leanhumancapital.com">please contact me</a>.</p>
<p>Finally, best in class organizations use detailed analytics, trend tracking, and ongoing voice of the customer sessions/surveys to consistently check on hiring manager satisfaction and correct areas of concern proactively.</p>
<p>If you’re effectively managing the relationship, you’re not only talking with your hiring managers often about the day to day aspects of candidate flow, but you’re also meeting with them at least quarterly to look at your high level results as a team to mitigate any areas of risk.</p>
<p>The Managing Your Hiring Managers Series was Posted with Permission from the Author. Original posts can be seen <a href="http://www.leanhumancapital.com/healthcareblog/">here</a> </p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Fmanaging-your-hiring-managers-part-three%2F&amp;linkname=Managing%20Your%20Hiring%20Managers%2C%20Part%20III"><img src="http://hireplateau.com/wp-content/themes/hire_plateau/images/share.png" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a> </p>

<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/08/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-one/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part I'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part I</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/14/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-two/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part II'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part II</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/06/managing-candidates%e2%80%99-salary-expectations/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing candidates’ salary expectations'>Managing candidates’ salary expectations</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-three/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reduce our National Debt by Fixing the Broken Recruitment Process</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/reduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/reduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Oct 2010 03:38:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Velu Palani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suppliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VMS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Contingent Workforce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recruiting Process]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=872</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The U.S. Government is providing tax breaks and providing financial assistance in hiring people, but the money recruiters and companies are receiving from the government is spent on supporting the poor system.  Let us stop playing the game of ‘lie, steal, hide and borrow’’ like the U.S. Government and start focusing on quality and cost effective hiring processes.


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/30/succeeding-at-recruiting-globally/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Succeeding at Global Recruitment'>Succeeding at Global Recruitment</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/17/credit-reports-and-the-hiring-process/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Credit Reports and the Hiring Process'>Credit Reports and the Hiring Process</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/10/managing-workforce-risk-part-i/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Workforce Risk &#8211; Part I'>Managing Workforce Risk &#8211; Part I</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Freduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Freduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><strong>The Outstanding Public Debt as of 10-14-2010 is:  $13,640,075,534,000 and counting!</strong></p>
<p>The estimated population of the United States is <strong>309,237,361, </strong>so each citizen&#8217;s share of this debt is <strong>$44,108.76</strong>. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of <strong>$4.19 billion per day</strong> since September 28, 2007!. (Source: <a href="http://www.truthinaccounting.org/">http://www.truthinaccounting.org</a>)</p>
<p>So what does all this have to do with the broken recruitment process? Well, the U.S. Government is providing tax breaks and providing financial assistance in hiring people, but the money recruiters and companies are receiving from the government is spent on supporting the poor system.  If we fix this broken system, we may be able to participate in stopping the growth of our national debt. Let’s break down the recruitment process.</p>
<p>There are two options companies use to recruit employees using internal resources:</p>
<p>-       <strong>Option A</strong>: Source, hire and on-board internally</p>
<p>-       <strong>Option B</strong>: Contract external vendors to assist in the hiring process.</p>
<p>A major difference between the two options is that external vendors may not be able to perform the entire process, specifically the interviewing and on-boarding components.  This still leaves 40% or more of the job for the hiring organization to complete.  In addition, both options also have a laundry list of advantages and disadvantages, but we will save that discussion for another post.</p>
<p>Option A requires a lot of people, time and money.  Moreover, the skills required to perform all the functions, specifically the ‘Sourcing’ and ‘Qualifying’ are complex and time consuming.</p>
<p>So when companies need to hire quickly, they attempt to leverage Option B. This option can be also be a costly alternative.  Hiring companies still have to perform their part of the qualifying, interviewing and on-boarding process. At the same time, external vendors are always worried about the risk of spinning their wheels chasing job requirements that are not clearly defined while to competing with many other resume chasers. On top of it all, external vendors don’t get paid until the hiring is complete and may need to wait for 30, 60, or even 90 additional days for the invoices to be paid.</p>
<p>This seems to be a broken business system.  Who wants to work for free? Who wants to pay when no service is delivered? Does it sound familiar? Can we fix the broken system?</p>
<p>Absolutely! We can fix this broken system if employers are willing to change their behavior and share the financial risk and stop wasting the time of everyone by engaging multiple vendors (resume chasers) to do the free sourcing. The vendors need to commit to the success of the employers and job seekers, by being transparent.</p>
<p>As we all know, companies invest huge sums of money hiring employees and they pay lot of money to vendors to source resumes and seek help in recruiting. We’re wasting a lot of time and money due to inefficient process, poor transparency and inadequate internal skills.</p>
<p>Let us stop playing the game of ‘lie, steal, hide and borrow’’ like the U.S. Government and start focusing on quality and cost effective hiring processes. We ‘recruiters’ should be socially and morally responsible to fixing this problem by working with clients to make the process transparent. Let’s improve the efficiency by introducing new technology and innovation. On the contrary, the clients should stop throwing requirements at every recruiter available without understanding the consequences. Together we reduce the productivity loss and in-turn we directly contribute to our national debt reduction.</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F21%2Freduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process%2F&amp;linkname=Reduce%20our%20National%20Debt%20by%20Fixing%20the%20Broken%20Recruitment%20Process"><img src="http://hireplateau.com/wp-content/themes/hire_plateau/images/share.png" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a> </p>

<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/30/succeeding-at-recruiting-globally/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Succeeding at Global Recruitment'>Succeeding at Global Recruitment</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/17/credit-reports-and-the-hiring-process/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Credit Reports and the Hiring Process'>Credit Reports and the Hiring Process</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/09/10/managing-workforce-risk-part-i/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Workforce Risk &#8211; Part I'>Managing Workforce Risk &#8211; Part I</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/reduce-our-national-debt-by-fixing-the-broken-recruitment-process/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part II</title>
		<link>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/14/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-two/</link>
		<comments>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/14/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-two/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Oct 2010 07:52:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bradley Savoy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[IT Exec]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VMS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring Manager]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Capital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Self-Assessment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://hireplateau.com/?p=840</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A key to building a consultative partnership with your hiring manager is by getting to know them personally and building credibility with strong functional knowledge of their organization, business unit and staff. How do you accomplish this? 


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/08/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-one/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part I'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part I</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-three/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part III'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part III</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/12/17/forecasting-industry-trends-by-analyzing-the-individual-company/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Forecasting Industry Trends by Analyzing the Individual Company'>Forecasting Industry Trends by Analyzing the Individual Company</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F14%2Fmanaging-your-hiring-managers-part-two%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F14%2Fmanaging-your-hiring-managers-part-two%2F&amp;source=hireplateau&amp;style=normal&amp;service=ow.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>Last week we posted the <a href="http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/08/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-one/">first part</a> in this series on Managing Your Hiring Managers.  We discussed how to understand what your hiring manager’s want (or just as important – need) through voice of the customer (VOC).</p>
<p>A key to building a consultative partnership with your hiring manager is by getting to know them personally and building credibility with strong functional knowledge of their organization, business unit and staff.</p>
<p>How do you accomplish this? The following questions will help guide you so that you can become recognized as a true staffing partner with your hiring managers.</p>
<p><strong>Knowing Your Hiring Managers &amp; Building Credibility – Self Assessment!</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Do you have strong, personal relationships with your hiring managers? Do you know where they are from, their hobbies and interests?  You don’t need to be best friends.  But, you should have some basic knowledge of your customer and who they are.</li>
<li>Do you know their administrative assistants or other support staff well? Often the most important contact you’ll have is the Administrative Assistants and other support professionals aligned to your hiring manager.  They can be your best ally to ensure you’re given access to the hiring manager’s schedule and they always have an ear to the inner workings of the hiring manager’s department.</li>
<li>Who are their top performers?  Do you have a relationship with them?  If you’re trying to build a business for your hiring manager, you should always look at their leadership team.  From the successor of the department to the top performers, the traits from these team members are what the hiring manager is seeking to build in his/her department and what you should look for when courting talent.  Also building relationships with these leaders will ensure your opinion is vetted throughout the key influencers in your hiring manager’s world.</li>
<li>Do you have a strong functional knowledge of what they do?  What does the hiring manager actually do every day?  You should have a basic understanding of how they spend their time.  They should also know how you spend yours. <img src="http://www.leanhumancapital.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" /></li>
<li>Do you keep up with the industry?  <em> </em>Sure, you should be reading Workforce &amp; HR magazines, but you should also be reading up on the latest trends in your industry. Whatever the industry (i.e. healthcare, banking, home building), you should stay abreast of trends there.</li>
<li>Have you visited the department or met their staff? <em> </em>If you have the ability to make a visit in person do so.  One of my clients within the insurance industry conducts site visits once a month to make sure they have a face tied to the name.</li>
<li>Do you understand the career progression for each department?  How do people move up, or transfer out of their department.  This can be a key selling point if this particular manager has a track record of creating star performers for your organization or system.</li>
<li>Do you meet with your managers quarterly to quantify your performance/ROI?  As part of a quarterly touch base (or onsite visit), do you present meaningful data to your hiring manager to show what you or your function has done for them in the past 3 months?</li>
</ul>
<p>We have added this self-assessment tool to our Good to “Elite” competency/skills self assessment library (see below).</p>
<p><a href="http://polldaddy.com/s/75BA1662959D5D27">Click here to participate</a>.</p>
<p>If would like a copy of your (or your team’s results) results, <a href="mailto:aedwards@leanhumancapital.com">please email us</a>.</p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhireplateau.com%2F2010%2F10%2F14%2Fmanaging-your-hiring-managers-part-two%2F&amp;linkname=Managing%20Your%20Hiring%20Managers%2C%20Part%20II"><img src="http://hireplateau.com/wp-content/themes/hire_plateau/images/share.png" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a> </p>

<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/08/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-one/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part I'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part I</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/21/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-three/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part III'>Managing Your Hiring Managers, Part III</a></li>
<li><a href='http://hireplateau.com/2010/12/17/forecasting-industry-trends-by-analyzing-the-individual-company/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Forecasting Industry Trends by Analyzing the Individual Company'>Forecasting Industry Trends by Analyzing the Individual Company</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://hireplateau.com/2010/10/14/managing-your-hiring-managers-part-two/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
