The Current & Future State-of-the-Art in Sourcing and Recruiting Products and Services

Transcription

1 The Current & Future State-of-the-Art in Sourcing and Recruiting Products and Services A White Paper Published by the International Association of Employment Web Sites Based on Research Conducted for The 2014 Recruiting Service Innovation Awards Sponsored by:

2

3 Table of Contents Executive Summary... 4 About the International Association of Employment Web Sites... 5 Research Findings... 6 The Current State-of-the-Art in Sourcing and Recruiting Products and Services... 7 The Future State-of-the-Art in Sourcing and Recruiting Products and Services... 8 Background for the Research: The Recruiting Service Innovation Awards (ReSIs)...11 The 2014 ReSIs Survey The ReSIs Winners...13 Tthe International Association of Employment Web Sites About Boxwood Technology About Simply Hired

4 Executive Summary In 2013, the International Association of Employment Web Sites (IAEWS) established the Recruiting Service Innovation Awards or the ReSIs (pronounced Rezzis). The purpose of this annual competition is to recognize recruiting and sourcing products and services that optimize the recruiter s experience. They acknowledge both the critical importance of optimizing the candidate s experience in employers efforts to recruit high caliber new hires AND the fact that accomplishing that objective requires products and services that enable recruiters to perform at their peak. As a part of the selection process for the winners of the 2014 ReSIs, a survey was conducted to determine recruiters, sourcers, and HR professionals experience with select recruiting and sourcing products and services. The results of that survey were used to determine the current and the desired future state-of-the-art in sourcing and recruiting technology. Among the major findings were the following: Users were most impressed by recruiting and sourcing products or services that could improve their: Productivity the ability to fill more openings more quickly; Quality of Hire the ability to find, engage and hire more top performers; and/or Return on Investment the ability to spend organizational funds more effectively. In addition, the products and services they adjudged to be most useful were those that could help them with: Sourcing Prospect engagement Assessment Applicant tracking The introduction of mobile capabilities. A detailed breakout of users responses is provided in the Research Findings. These findings support a single strategic conclusion. Optimizing the recruiter s experience is not simply a functional objective, it is also a strategic imperative. High performing recruiters are the gateway to enterprise success. They are responsible for accessing the high caliber talent required for organizations to prevail in a relentlessly competitive economy. The fact that recruiters place the most value on products and services that can enhance their performance measured in terms of productivity, quality of hire and/or return on investment underscores their awareness of and commitment to both functional excellence (thereby optimizing the candidate experience) and the sustained advancement of the enterprise which employs them. 4

5 About the International Association of Employment Web Sites The International Association of Employment Web Sites (IAEWS) is the trade organization for the global online employment services industry. Its Members include job boards, association career centers, social media sites, aggregators, job ad distribution companies, applicant tracking system vendors, recruitment advertising agencies and the companies which partner with and support them. Collectively, they power or operate over 60,000 sites worldwide. About the Sponsors for the 2014 ReSIs Gold Sponsor: Boxwood Technology Boxwood Technology has been delivering online career center solutions exclusively for the association marketplace since As the industry leader, Boxwood has helped its clients generate over $400 million in nondues revenue. We re also the only career center solutions provider to earn an endorsement by American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) every year since Silver Sponsor: Simply Hired Simply Hired s vision is to index all the world s open jobs and develop technologies, products, and services to efficiently connect job seekers and employers at scale. For job seekers, we help you understand where there s opportunity, and what you need to do to successfully pursue it. For employers, we help you understand where there s talent, and where there s competition. And no matter who you are, we are here to help you succeed. For more information about the IAEWS, Boxwood Technology, and Simply Hired, please see pages in this report. 5

6 Research Findings The Recruiting Service Innovation Awards (ReSIs) were established by the International Association of Employment Web Sites to recognize exemplary recruiting and sourcing products and services. The selection of winners in the competition was based on a two-step evaluation process. 1 2 In step one, a Selection Committee composed of Talent Acquisition executives from large and mid-sized companies evaluated the products and services nominated by both commercial and not-for-profit organizations. In step two, a detailed survey was conducted of actual users of the products and services named as Semi-Finalists by the Selection Committee. That survey forms the basis for this research white paper. The survey posed a number of questions to recruiters, sourcers and HR professionals regarding their experience with a particular product or service. Each Semi-Finalist organization was asked to submit the names of no fewer than three and no more than ten users for the survey, creating a potential pool of between 51 and 170 respondents. A total of 68 responses were received. Those answers provide a window on where recruiting products and services are today the current state-of-the-art as recruiters see it. In addition, respondents were asked to answer the following general questions: In your opinion, what areas of the talent acquisition process are in greatest need of new/better sourcing or recruiting products and services? Why? A total of 39 responses were received for this part of the survey. These responses offer important insights into what recruiters see as the gaps in today s capability that should be filled for tomorrow the future state-of-the-art in recruiting and sourcing technology that recruiters would like to see. 6

7 Where Are Sourcing and Recruiting Products and Services Today? The Current State-of-the-Art In the answers to questions about the products and services nominated for a 2014 ReSI, respondents were most favorably impressed by those that could improve their: Productivity the ability to fill more openings more quickly; Quality of Hire the ability to find, engage and hire more top performers; and/or Return on Investment the ability to spend organizational funds more effectively. Illustrative comments from respondents include: It allows [us] to target exactly the types of candidates they [hiring managers] seek in the environment most likely to appeal to those candidates. With the solution we are able to manage our own vacancies, realtime, and see the results. Allows us to screen in instead of screening out, cutting down on recruiting time spent by more than 75%. We have received feedback from our Managers that the candidates they are seeing are much higher quality and are a better fit for our culture. Users can set a filter [for] jobs with fewer applications to focus the dollars where they are needed most. [Helps us] analyze the efficiency of the sourcing channels and different department s job postings. In addition, respondents liked products or services with a number of specific attributes. The most popular were: Tailoring the ability to modify a product or service to optimize its implementation by the client; Ease of use the ability to quickly master and effortlessly apply a product or service; and Flexibility the ability to use a product or service in a wide range of configurations. 7

8 Where Should Sourcing and Recruiting Products and Services Be Tomorrow? The Future State-of-the-Art To determine where recruiters would like to see additional developments or innovation, the survey asked: In your opinion, what areas of the talent acquisition process are in greatest need of new/better sourcing or recruiting products and services? Why? The top five areas cited by the respondents were: 1 Sourcing 4 2 Prospect engagement 5 Applicant tracking The introduction of mobile capabilities 3 Assessment Sourcing Respondents were particularly interested in products or services that would enable them to locate high caliber candidates. Although it s sometimes difficult to find any candidates in certain fields (e.g., nursing, engineering), the challenge in today s job market is more frequently the ability to find and connect with top performers. Illustrative comments regarding what s needed in Sourcing included: Identifying new and more efficient ways to contact talent that is hidden in plain view (i.e. not on LinkedIn). Qualitative sourcing. It s easy to find candidates, but hard to find the right ones. New ways to reach candidates in the job market are always things we are looking for. Then, of course, those resources that help us hone in on the most qualified candidates in the fastest amount of time. Prospect Engagement Respondents called for products or services that would better enable them to build relationships with candidates more effectively and efficiently. Once candidates are identified, the challenge becomes two-fold: building sufficient familiarity and trust with the candidate so they will consider an employer s opportunity even if they are satisfied with their current employment situation; and overcoming candidates short attention span so they acquire enough information to evaluate an opportunity effectively. 8

9 Illustrative comments regarding what s needed in Candidate Engagement included: Today, we see many tools for identifying talent. While that s great, where I see the biggest challenge today is prospect engagement. Why? I believe prospects are overwhelmed with calls/ s, making it difficult to pitch a new opportunity. [What we need is] the ability to streamline the connection between qualified candidates and recruiters. [What we need is] a process to keep the pool of candidates in touch with us Assessment Respondents said they needed assessment instruments that were better able to calibrate candidates for specific job functions (i.e., differentiate top performers from all other applicants) and to do so quickly and reliably. Illustrative comments regarding what s needed in Assessment included: In our opinion, current pre-assessment tools are archaic and in great need of [upgrading their ability to help us with] weeding out top candidates from the available talent pool. Better assessments that are relevant to the position Any products/services that streamline the time for evaluating candidates while maintaining the accuracy (validity) of the tools and process. Applicant Tracking Respondents saw a need for corrective measures to what is, in their opinion, the inadequate capabilities of many applicant tracking systems (ATS) as well as their difficulty of use both for themselves and candidates. Overall, the tenor of the comments suggested that even the current state-of-the-art among ATS was not on a par with that of other recruiting technologies so the challenge is first to catch up and then to push into new developments. Illustrative comments regarding what s needed in Applicant Tracking included: I think we need better ATS systems that can help with not only tracking but better reporting. Applicant Tracking Systems. Difficult to use from Mobile devices. Applying to jobs is laborious. The entire ATS industry needs to find better ways to work together more effectively to identify the source of all candidate referrals. No two ATS systems work the same way, which makes tracking source of hire very inefficient and difficult. 9

10 The Introduction of Mobile Capabilities Respondents wanted to see products and services that could move their recruiting activities more quickly into a mobile-centric or at least a mobile friendly format. In addition, they seemed to recognize that true mobility is unlikely to come from simply repurposing current practices on a mobile device, but must instead provide an entirely new and distinctive mobile-based experience. Illustrative comments regarding what s needed in Mobile included: [We need better] mobile technology because more and more users are searching for jobs from their smart phone. [We want products or services with a] better understanding of mobile environments because more and more users interface from a mobile device. [We should be] offering assessments on mobile devices to make for a better candidate experience is important. Products that keep up with the continually changing world of mobile computing. Other Aspects of the Future State-of-the-Art Other developments that were cited by the respondents, but not as frequently as the top five above, included: Better metrics and data analysis capabilities Improved ability to identify the source of candidates A meta structure that would effectively integrate various products and services Upgraded support for employee referral programs More effective ways to tap social media. Finally, respondents also cited vendor support as a key area for improvement, including better pre-implementation training and more consultation and assistance once a product or service is deployed. 10

11 Background for the Research: The Recruiting Service Innovation Awards (ReSIs) In 2013, the International Association of Employment Web Sites launched a new award program called the Recruiting Service Innovation Awards or the ReSIs ( Rezzis ). Its purpose was to recognize and celebrate recruiting and sourcing products and services that optimize the recruiter s experience. Why is optimizing the recruiter s experience important? There are two reasons: one strategic, one tactical. Strategically, empowering recruiters yields the high caliber talent that powers the enterprise s bottom line. The better supported recruiters are with state-of-the-art products and services, the better the new hires they bring in the door to support an employer s mission. To put it another way, high performing recruiters acquire high performing employees who are, in turn, the key to organizational success. That connection between strategic success and talent acquisition has never been more apparent. For example, not one but two McKinsey Quarterly global surveys underscored the linkage: The first, in 2006, indicated that the respondents regarded finding talented people as likely to be the single most important managerial preoccupation for the rest of this decade. The second, conducted in November 2007, revealed that nearly half of the respondents expect intensifying competition for talent and the increasingly global nature of that competition to have a major effect on their companies over the next five years. No other global trend was considered nearly as significant. (The McKinsey Quarterly, Making talent a strategic priority, August 2008) Though these findings are slightly dated, they are almost certainly just as valid today. Therefore, high performing recruiters are the gateway to organizational success and optimizing their experience is not simply a functional objective, it is also a strategic imperative. Tactically, over the past several years, employers and recruiters have come to understand that optimizing the candidate experience is a precondition for success in the War for the Best Talent. Top performers have choices, and the way they are treated in the recruiting process often has a significant impact on their employment decisions. In order to give candidates the attention and respect they deserve, however, recruiters must have powerful and reliable recruiting tools and support. An employer cannot optimize the candidate experience, if it doesn t first optimize its recruiter s experience if it doesn t provide recruiters with the products and services they need to perform at their peak. The ReSIs are the only awards in the talent acquisition field that recognize and honor these linkages. As Nan Weitzmann, Americas Talent Acquisition Leader at Hewlett Packard and a member of the 2014 ReSIs Selection Committee, put it: The ReSIs recognize those solutions that provide a value-add to improve the recruiter experience. When recruiters are more effective and productive, the hiring process moves more quickly and enhances the overall candidate and hiring experience. 11

12 The 2014 ReSIs Survey The ReSIs competition is open to any commercial or not-for-profit organization worldwide. Organizations may nominate as many products or services as they like. Nominations are accepted in the following categories: External Sourcing: Acquisition of candidates from outside an employer Internal Sourcing: Acquisition of candidates from inside an employer Screening: Evaluation of candidates Candidate Management/Selection: Communication with and administration of candidates Wild Card: Developments that do not fit into one of the other four categories. The 2014 ReSIs were sponsored by Boxwood Technology and Simply Hired. Nominations were received from organizations based in Canada, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. A Blue Ribbon Selection Committee composed of senior Talent Acquisition executives from Hewlett Packard, Hyatt, New Belgium Brewing Company, Outerwall, Inc. and Meritage Talent Solutions reviewed and evaluated all nominations. Based on their scoring, a slate of 15 Semi-Finalists representing 17 products or services was announced at the IAEWS Spring Congress in April, The Semi-Finalist organizations were: Adicio AON Hewitt Careerify EnchantedCareers HarQen HRBoss icims (2 selections) JobTarget OnRecruit PracticeLink (2 selections) The Sourcing Institute StartDate Labs tapability.org Work4 Innotrieve Each Semi-Finalist then provided a list of users to be surveyed about their experience with the organization s product or service. A final score composed of the Selection Committee s evaluation and the survey results determined the 2014 winners, which were announced and presented with crystal trophies at a Gala Awards Reception following the SHRM Annual Convention in June. 12

13 The six ReSIs winners were: Platinum Award StartDate Labs for its AppCast ad exchange and pay-per-applicant product. Gold Award Enchanted Careers for its Post Perfect Training Program in recruitment advertising. Gold Award tapability.org for it Talent Acquisition Portal serving workers with disabilities. Silver Award Aon Hewitt for its G.A.T.E. computer adaptive testing engine. Silver Award HarQen for its Voice Advantage digital interviewing platform. Silver Award HRBoss for its HiringBoss candidate management and selection tool. For more information about the ReSIs and to obtain a nomination form for the 2015 Awards, please visit the ReSIs page on the IAEWS Web-site. Companies may start submitting nominations for the 2015 Recruiting Service innovation Awards in September. 13

14 International Association of Employment Web Sites The International Association of Employment Web Sites (IAEWS) is the trade association for the global online employment services industry. From its organizational Web-site and its industry Center of Excellence at the IAEWS serves a worldwide community of job boards, association career centers, career portals, social media sites, aggregators, job ad distribution companies, applicant tracking system companies, recruitment advertising agencies and the companies which partner and support them. Collectively, its Members power or operate over 60,000 sites worldwide. The IAEWS provides a wide range of benefits to its Members, including: Two conferences a year designed for the CEOs of employment Web-sites and their direct reports; The opportunity to engage in industry-related discussions at its Center of Excellence, Jobboarders.com; The right to post the IAEWS Member icon on their site(s) signifying the Member s commitment to the only Code of Ethics in the industry; A global benchmark survey which permits job boards to compare their views on key industry trends and issues as well as operational and financial performance to their peers and to do so with total confidentiality; The ability to participate in The IAEWS University, free Webinars on best practices in employment site operation, management and development. And, much more. Through its Member Working Groups and proprietary research, the IAEWS also keeps its Members apprised of changes to: Governmental regulations and policies which might affect their operation; The practices and policies of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the governing body of the Internet; The behaviors and views of employers, job seekers and other working men and women; Business models, technology and economic circumstances in the U.S. and around the world. 14

15 boxwoodtech.com Providing Career Centers to associations through technology, services and people. Boxwood has been delivering online career center solutions exclusively to the association marketplace since As the industry leader, Boxwood has helped our clients generate over $400 million in non-dues revenue. We re also the only career center solutions provider to earn an endorsement by ASAE every year since How do we help associations generate that much money and earn the endorsement of ASAE? Simple. We re different than other providers. If you re in the market for an online career center we encourage you think about your decision carefully. Learn the answer to one simple question, Why Boxwood?. We ve heard people say all career centers are more or less the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. Take a quick read through 50 Facts every association absolutely, positively needs to know about career centers and see how Boxwood stacks up. We re confident you ll come to the same conclusion as ASAE. Boxwood Career Center Services Employers spend 5 billion dollars every year on online recruiting. Shouldn t some of those dollars go to your association s bottom line? Boxwood s suite of Career Center Services gives you a way to boost your non-dues revenue, keep your organization relevant to your members through their entire careers, and provide value to employers. A Boxwood Career Center solution is also a powerful investment, delivering outstanding ROI for your association.. Why Boxwood? At Boxwood, we understand building and keeping an association vibrant and relevant is no small feat. The bigger the association, the more complex the issues: regulations, member privacy, financial goals and concerns. We know, too, that no two associations are exactly alike. That s why Boxwood goes far and above the competition to deliver fully-customized, association-branded, online career centers to more associations than any other provider. See what sets us apart far apart and why the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) has endorsed Boxwood as the only official provider of online career centers for the entire association industry. Resources As an industry thought leader, Boxwood continues to develop new, valuable content for our customers and for the association community. We keep on top of industry trends to help our customers stay ahead of the curve and relevant to their members. We leverage our business intelligence and analytics work to develop industry best practices and share them with our customers through ebooks, white papers, case studies and one-on-one consulting. 15

16 simplyhired.com We help great people find great jobs. We are revolutionizing job search and online recruitment through innovations that help us deliver the ultimate in search relevancy. We are constantly looking for the newest ways to take our technology and data science to the next level. Ready When You Are We have open jobs in more than 974 official occupations in the US. That s enough for you to have a new job in a different occupation every day. For the next two and a half years. On Simply Hired, you can find jobs from 24 countries in 12 different languages. Our site has 30 million unique visitors each month, and each year those visitors perform over 695 million job searches. The result is a multitude of unique behaviors from many different people on our site every day. At Simply Hired, we analyze these behaviors regularly. This way, we can continue to make improvements to help employers and job seekers find their perfect match. For example, we work hard to deliver the most relevant job search results on the web. Our algorithms are optimized for over 500,000 keywords across 1,000 different job categories! In fact, in 2013 alone we made over 100 optimizations to our search algorithms, which not only makes us the leader in the industry, but puts us on the cutting edge of vertical search technology. Why Simply Hired? Our Vision is to index all the world s open jobs and develop technologies, products, and services to efficiently connect job seekers and employers at scale. For job seekers, we help you understand where there s opportunity, and what you need to do to successfully pursue it. For employers, we help you understand where there s talent, and where there s competition. And no matter who you are, we are here to help you succeed. 16