In 1994, the hiring and recruiting world rejoiced at the birth of Monster.com. The laborious routine of scanning classified sections and having to mail paper resumes for each job were over. To apply for a job, all someone now had to do was click ‘Apply’ and within seconds their information would be delivered to a potential employer. For corporations, the benefits were even better. Where previously a company might have received 10 applicants for a position they were now receiving 10 times that amount. Plus they could now search a database with millions of applicants for a fee of $12,000 per year, practically assuring they would find qualified candidates for their positions. “Digital recruitment” was the answer as it appeared that it would cut down on fees for classified ads, recruiters, job fairs, while assuring they saw candidates from places other than the scope of their local newspaper.
Moo.
Monster.com was wildly successful and in a short amount of time the company became a behemoth. They ran million-dollar Super Bowl ads, had the naming rights to a college bowl game, and everyone looking for work knew to visit Monster.com for maximum exposure. The business of “digital recruitment” was so well received that there was even more room for newcomers like Careerbuilder.com, HotJobs.com, Brassring.com, etc. Seemingly almost every company was using an internet job sites to the point where it became the core around which all hiring processes spun.
While everything appeared to be running like a well-oiled machine, something wasn’t right. What began as a new and improved way for job seekers and companies to come together was quickly transforming into a meeting ground for the job market’s overexposed and untalented. As more people gained access to high-speed internet, millions of career disenfranchised flocked to the site.
Companies panicked and after several strategy meetings and team building exercises they decided to purchase computer programs that specialized in applicant screening. The program would scan the submitted resume for keywords and if the words were missing from the document, a “Thank you for your interest” letter was automatically drafted and sent to the applicant, their resume never having been viewed by a live human. There was also a push to bulk up human resource departments by hiring representatives to manage these systems while also conducting preliminary interviews. Unfortunately, a premium wasn’t placed on hiring people with experience in the disciplines for which they hired. This reactive approach to hiring led companies to spend much more for a far less efficient, lottery-style hiring process, deeply entrenched in “digital recruitment”.
Many talented applicants would smartly remove their online career profiles as they felt it cheapened their stock just by association or they simply grew exhausted from being injected into prolonged and bloated hiring experiences. In discovering this trend, human resource departments were forced to spend even more on third party recruiters who, unbeknown to them, were using the same “digital recruitment” services to find the same candidates as they were.
Many companies were relegated to hiring people not necessarily the best qualified for their positions because after all, someone had to do the work. As a result, more spending for training and corrective action was needed. Having a lack of strong talent caused corporations to become soft and less productive.
Today, everything is recession-quiet. Companies who remain in business have released marginal candidates from their employ and kept those who over time have added the most value. Hiring is practically frozen across the board. While this would be a great time for companies to do some recruitment soul searching, don’t count on it. It is your responsibility to position yourself in this market to avoid being corralled with the rest of the cattle. Here is one strategy you can use:
- Determine the top 10 companies of where you’d like to work
- Using the internet, library, friends, references, etc. find out the names of all management personnel within each corporation along with as much contact information as you can.
- For each company, figure out where you believe you can add the most value and have your points ready to present. If you aren’t sure where you can add value, research the company and their current market position.
- Check the Internet initially for any positions they might have posted. Keep in mind that 85% of available positions aren’t public so don’t be deterred.
- Make the call – Hello (First Name), this is Amy Smith. Am I interrupting? I’m sure you are busy so I’ll make it fast. At this point, state what you noticed about the company’s position in the marketplace and with your background in A, B, and C feel that you can really make a difference to their bottom line. I was hoping I might be able to discuss this with you over a cup of coffee. How does your schedule look?