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Looking for Programmers? Find the Best Ones with DevGlide

Let’s admit it. Sourcing good software developers is hard. The tech industry is booming, and every other sector depends on technology to power operations. Which is not surprising so far. 

In case the competition wasn’t high enough already, the Occupational Outlook Handbook is predicting a 22 percent rise in the employment of software developers between 2019 and 2029. Let’s just say that this prediction is any tech recruiter’s nightmare. Or technical sourcer.

Now, before we scare you away with that bleak picture of the future, let’s talk about the other side of that coin.

More technological advancements mean we get better, faster, and smarter recruiting tools. And one promising tool that gives us hope for a more efficient future for recruiters is DevGlide. 

As an AI-driven sourcing solution, DevGlide uses data from GitHub and Stack Overflow — two of the most popular online destinations for developers — to compile developer profiles that list their strengths and recent activity.

What makes the tool unique is that it’s one of a kind when it comes to filtering ideal developers from hundreds of thousands of profiles. They have included some helpful filter options like:

  • Location
  • Programming language
  • Framework experience
  • Toolkit
  • And even public knowledge base contributions

Better yet, everything is packed in a neat and simple UI that gets out of your way and lets you headhunt like you mean it.

They have made it simple to use. All you have to do is log in, go to the search bar, enter your criteria, and lo-and-behold, it will present you with a list of matching candidates. 

So if you specialize in recruiting software developers, be sure to take DevGlide for a spin with the free 7-day trial available here. 

The Flip Side of Remote Work

We all know that remote work is likely to stay for the long haul.

And while some of us sometimes miss catered lunches, friendly water-cooler moments, and free cappuccino in the shared kitchen, it’ll likely take a while before employers across the nation find a way to reopen their office spaces safely.

That’s why a data science team at LiveCareer decided to take the pulse of 1,000+ employees’ experiences with remote work, zeroing in on the professional and personal benefits WFH provides.

Below is a quick rundown of the study’s key findings:

  • Most employees save between 30 minutes and 2 hours each day by not commuting to the office. That’s 7.6 to 30 days a year!
  • The average employee saves around $4,000 yearly by working from home.
  • A full 74 percent of remote workers started a side hustle with the time they saved.
  • Nearly half of Americans have traveled to a different city or country to earn a living in a remote capacity.

 

Remote Work: Money and Time Savings

It’s no secret that remote work offers lots of benefits ranging from improved work-life balance to increased productivity.

On top of that, WFH helps save time and money. With so much extra time saved, how do employees use it? It depends. The vast majority of working professionals choose to spend more time with family and friends and get more sleep.

Others prefer to undertake more recreational activities such as hiking or camping, pick up new skills and competencies or generally work on self-improvement, getting training/education.

How do employees use the extra money?

Most working professionals report they use the extra money to build or beef up an emergency fund or nest egg or contribute to retirement and/or pension savings to ensure a smooth transition further down the road.

Other working professions claim they’ll use the extra cash to save for big purchases such as a home, new car, grad school, or vacation once it’s safe to travel. The remaining workers reported they’d invest the money in personal or professional development.

 

Telecommuting vs. Traveling and Work Satisfaction

When the COVID-19 pandemic started to wreak havoc on a global scale, few of us managed to deal effectively with stress, juggle family responsibilities, and deliver on our combined team goals.

But—

With time, we’ve acclimated, and some of us even entertained the idea of traveling while working remotely. And many turned that secret dream into reality, according to the study’s findings, with over half of remote employees spending at least a week working from the road.

As a result, many remote workers now also report higher job satisfaction. In fact, 37 percent of employees rate the state of their professional life as somewhat better, followed up by 15 percent who go as far as saying they feel significantly more satisfied with their jobs.

 

The Effect of Telecommuting on Employees’ Overall Wellbeing

Lastly, researchers at LiveCareer wanted to explore the effects of remote work on employees, gauging their overall physical and mental health, well-being, and how telecommuting affects different aspects of their lives.

Based on the obtained results, the vast majority of workers in the US exercise more since they have started to work remotely. Perhaps that’s because many of us live in houses as opposed to apartments where we can afford to have a dedicated gym room.

On top of that, most US employees claim their financial situation is now somewhat better or significantly better. That makes sense given how much more remote workers save per month.

As for employees’ family life, remote work too had a largely positive effect, with more than 63 percent of respondents reporting their family life has improved. One explanation for it could be that when the pandemic erupted, many families were hemmed in at home where they could spend much more time with their loved ones, talk things through, and generally iron issues out.

Social-life-wise, 44 percent of employees managed to have a somewhat or significantly better social life despite the social distancing measures. Perhaps those Zoom interactions did pay off in the end.

Prolonged remote work positively impacted most American’s life goals and their crystallization. According to our respondents, their vision for life roadmap is now somewhat better or significantly better. One explanation for it could be that many of us engaged in self-discovery and self-reflection during the prolonged WFH.

As a result, we now have a much better sense of what we want to do in the future, both on a professional and personal level.

 

Pay for Qualified Leads Only with WhoKnows Lead Generation

Having a pool of talent to choose from gives you huge strategic and competitive advantages, including a shorter time to hire, a lower cost per hire, and a better quality of hire. 

But as a recruiter, you already knew that, right? You also know that although lead generation sounds great in theory, it sure isn’t easy when you’re in the trenches of day-to-day execution. 

It’s not uncommon to end up spending dozens of hours and hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars only to come up with leads that are not even close to what you were looking for.

With the help of the WhoKnows Lead Generation (WLG) tool, you can say goodbye to that nightmare. 

WLG uses AI-assisted search to find the best leads for you. All you have to do is select the criteria that your ideal candidate should meet from 20+ plus filters, including:

  • Gender
  • Age group
  • Specified locations
  • Particular qualifications
  • Range of availability

Besides helping you find the ideal candidate, WLG can also help you connect with your leads. You can use the tool to send tens of thousands of emails, SMS, or messages on social media daily. Better yet, you only pay for the messages that were sent successfully. So if a message is bounced, you won’t have to pay for it. 

Keeping all that in mind, if we had to describe WLG in a nutshell, we would say it is an upgraded twin of the popular ZoomInfo as both provide virtually the same services.

However, WLG edges ZoomInfo by a thin margin in every department. 

So give it a try today to see what a sniper approach to headhunting on scale feels like. 

 

Diversity Recruiting: War for Talent or Something Else?

Despite ongoing advancements and active conversations around critical topics like diversity, there are a lot of tired concepts in the recruiting and HR technology space. But probably none more than the “war for talent.”

We’ve heard this phrase repeated again and again for decades. Literally – it originated in the 1990s. That’s not only the last century but also the last millennium. Recognizing this, we need to ask ourselves what the real issue is – a war for talent or something else?  

Spoiler alert: when it comes to diversity recruiting, it’s something else entirely. It’s a discovery problem. The war for talent is a safety blanket, a way to explain away a lack of progress and shield recruiters from reality.

Claiming there’s a war for talent provides an out, and it’s time to cut the excuses. Before we look at what the future holds, let’s examine how we got here.

 

The War is Over

Back in 1997, when Steven Hankin first coined the “war for talent,” the world looked much different than it does today. Then, Netscape was the browser of choice, and tech-savvy folks carried around devices like the Motorola StarTAC and Palm Pilot.

We hadn’t even hit the dot-com bubble yet, let alone lived through the Great Recession or COVID-19 pandemic. Sure, competition remains fierce when it comes to recruiting and retaining talented employees, but that’s where the similarities end.

So why are we still using the same language to describe hiring under a vastly different set of circumstances? To borrow another dated reference, “war is over if you want it.”

With that established, we need to turn our attention to the present state of diversity recruiting. Because history repeats itself and the aforementioned cliché looms large over talent acquisition, we must acknowledge that mistakes have been made.

We’ve relied on ineffective methods that promoted the same types of candidates repeatedly while overlooking everyone else for too long. No matter what anyone tells you, the truth is that companies have never really valued their inbound applicants.

At least not enough. You’ve heard the stories about candidates applying for hundreds of jobs only to get one response.

 

The Future is Here

Historically speaking, the challenge is that we haven’t had tech that enables companies to understand candidates beyond their resumes. As a result, an overwhelming majority of candidates lob their resume into an ATS and get stuck.

Recruiters, already under pressure and crunched for time, simply can’t talk to each applicant to get more information and thus, only a few candidates advance, typically those from a top-five school or with experience at a FAANG company, while everyone else remains nameless and faceless inside a database. That is why we’re fighting the same battle.

Amid the war for talent conversation, we also started talking about the future of work, another nebulous cliché without merit or meaning. At least it seemed that way until the pandemic showed up and increased civil and social unrest thrust diversity to the top of the recruiting priority list.

But how do we break the cycle when we’ve been stuck in it for so long? We rethink, revise, redefine.  

 

Solving the Discovery Problem

There are a few ways to address the discovery problem, starting with the information we collect. We need to consider diversity from both a historical and future perspective, allowing candidates to self-identify and illustrate the full scope of diversity represented in sourcing efforts and talent communities, at events, and in the workforce.

We look beyond race and gender to see the whole candidate and the levels of diversity they bring to an organization. Few of us are one thing. We are many, and recruiting needs to reflect, understand and facilitate diversity.

You don’t necessarily need to have a strategy; you just need to make the commitment. The goal here is accessibility.

When we developed Canvas, we decided to make accessibility the new reality for diversity recruiting, solve the discovery problem, and level the playing field for all candidates.

We want companies to have access to the information they need to recruit diversely and, at the same time, give power back to their candidates because our mission is to make the world more equitable.

For this to happen universally, those in talent acquisition have to afford applicants the opportunity to express themselves, leverage accurate datasets on any given candidate, and be held accountable for diversity initiatives.

As Josh Bersin recently wrote, “It’s not enough to publish your diversity metrics: you have to make equity goals as important as your financial, legal, and other business outcomes.”

But doing that won’t take a war or even a battle. There’s no need for weapons. This is a community effort now.

 

Outplacement Services for Departing Execs: Carrot or Stick?

Timely Transition Support Brings Confident Separation and Stronger Business Reputation

Outplacement services are standard fare for senior leaders when downsizing occurs. Partnering with specialized firms enables organizations to recognize corporate executives for their contributions, demonstrate a strong employment brand and ultimately, ease the transition for both the departing leader and the company.

However, companies often mistake this valuable benefit for a bargaining chip rather than a critical resource that helps both sides move forward.

This occurs when decision-makers view outplacement as a point of leverage, awarding it only after departing staff complete separation agreements or at the end of a rescission period.

Typically, a cautious outlook or excessive legal concern fuels this reaction. The problem with handling outplacement as a stick is that it hurts both the company and the employee.

For businesses, the result can be a poor separation that:

  • Negatively impacts brand reputation in the market
  • Reduces cooperation during the transition process
  • Makes it more difficult for the organization to move forward

For individuals, this tactic can:

  • Delay much-needed career support—sometimes for weeks or months
  • Create unnecessary pressure to an already stressful situation
  • Amplify an adversarial perspective

 

Extend the Carrot with Immediate Outplacement

When transition support begins immediately, it generally results in better outcomes for all involved. I recommend using transition services as an incentive and enabler—in other words, a “carrot” approach.

In the “carrot” scenario, the company grants access to outplacement support as soon it notifies senior leaders of an impending separation.

Outplacement services for Director, VP and C-Suite roles typically include personal discovery, career consulting and one-on-one coaching; tactical support such as resume development and LinkedIn training; collaboration on personalized job search strategies; as well as interview preparation and offer negotiation tips.

While it’s still necessary to complete the appropriate legal agreements and finalize a transition plan, leading with career resources shows good faith and smooths the way for these efforts.

Early access to outplacement is particularly important:

  • With departing (or even retiring) C-suite executives
  • When separation is a surprise for the individual
  • If the notification is done early, leaving weeks or months of employment before a final separation date
  • For staff expected to provide training, knowledge transfer or support to others prior to exit

In these instances, outplacement services can lessen the impact of departure, remove unproductive emotions from the transition and create an environment that fosters communication and cooperation.

 

Focus on Outcomes, Not Time-Based Services

Immediate support is just one important criterion when selecting outplacement services for key executives.

Other considerations for a successful separation include:

  • Experienced consultants. Tenured leaders deserve equivalent expertise in their outplacement team, as well as resources who understand the unique challenges that executives face. There’s no substitute for the insights and rapport an experienced outplacement consultant can deliver.
  • Outcome-based services. Time-based outplacement heightens the pressure for executives during an already stressful time, and usually expires long before senior leaders land their next opportunity. Outcome-based services provide the same support without time constraints.
  • One-on-one support. Many firms rely on webinars and digital tools, when in reality, senior leaders find more benefit in peer-to-peer outplacement engagements. Opportunities for one-on-one coaching let each executive tailor career services to meet their specific goals.

 

Show Empathy, Dignity and Support

The right approach is especially critical in the current climate. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring, corporate executives have navigated numerous challenges, from pivoting business models and protecting worker safety, to managing through temporary closures and weighing issues of racial justice.

Many took sizable pay cuts to sustain their organizations.

While economic realities may still dictate eliminating some of these key positions, brand-savvy human resources teams (and even corporate boards of directors) should recognize the outsized efforts of key executives during the past few months.

A separation that’s conducted with empathy, dignity and adequate support is critical. Organizations that overlook crisis leadership risk appearing tone-deaf to current employees, potential new hires and even customers.

Every transition presents the opportunity to begin a new course. And while no organization enjoys making difficult choices about their workforce, when respect, compassion and appropriate resources accompany those decisions, it creates greater outcomes for all involved.

 

Microsoft Power Automate: The Ultimate Tool for Automating Mundane, Rule-Based Tasks

A career in recruitment comes with an endless supply of routine tasks. Collecting CVs, processing application forms, responding to the candidates, having back and forth with the key decision-makers.

We could keep this list of responsibilities going forever. 

But what if we told you there’s a way to automate all of those mundane tasks? You can leverage technology to suck the boredom out of your routine. And that’s exactly what the Microsoft Power Automate tool is made for. 

Formerly known as Flow, Power Automate is a business process management software (BPMS) that can help optimize, enhance, and automate business processes. Most businesses use it to automate recurring tasks, like managing requests or saving emails, lists, and other documents.

Now you might be thinking, “What does any of that have to do with recruitment?”

What makes the tool a dream come true for recruiters is that it can help make the recruitment process as simple as reviewing a series of auto-generated user profiles.

Yes, that’s right! No more wading through endless documents to collect data on potential hires.

With the help of Microsoft Power Automate, all you have to do is take the following steps to automate the entire process:

  • Create a job application form using a tool like Microsoft Forms. Make sure your form has all questions worth considering during the hiring process. 
  • Build two websites: one with WordPress where you will add your application form and the other with SharePoint for storing data about your candidates.
  • Finally, use Microsoft Power Automate to automate a profile creation process that will create an individual profile for each candidate and store their data.

Seems pretty simple, right?

So, if you want to make your recruitment process faster, simpler, and a whole lot more convenient, download the tool here.

TA in 2021: Where We’re Going (It Ain’t Where We’ve Been)

TA in 2021: Where We’re Going (It Ain’t Where We’ve Been)

In pre-pandemic times, we focused intently on the future of work.  TA in 2021 was a somewhat nebulous concept. It seemed far off and mysterious, full of possible changes and disruptions.

McKinsey, for one, spent oodles of energy on this topic, digging into the role of AI and automation as it related to vital skills and learning.

Over the last fifteen or so months, much of that thinking has changed, with McKinsey recently publishing a piece titled, “Reliably connecting the workforce of the future (which is now).”

TA in 2021

You can see that language is softening, and we’re no longer talking in absolutes about what might happen five or ten years from now. Instead, we’re looking at where we are in this moment (and maybe the next) as we rebuild from this period of sustained uncertainty. 

For talent acquisition professionals and recruiters starting to consider what’s ahead, here’s what you need to know:

 

Hybrid Workforce Recruiting

There’s a slim chance that work will go completely “back to normal.” At least not overnight.

Brion Lau of MojoRank wrote about this not long ago, citing the statement Salesforce released and emphasizing the need for flexibility in recruiting. That means coming up with answers to complex questions about remote work and learning to adapt hiring to meet the needs of both the organization and the employee.

We’ve reached a point of give and take.  One where all sides recognize and appreciate the value the other has to offer.

In practice, Lau explains, recruiters will want to adopt a matching mentality that seeks to align candidates with jobs rather than simply filling an immediate need.  

Making it happen

Uncover the overlooked.

To get to the right candidate for the job, we need to expand sourcing efforts to include not just new candidates but previous applicants and internal resources, too. Find ways to re-discover and re-engage talent, rather than initiating a new search every time you recruit. That goes for permanent as well as contingent and project-based hires.

Implement solutions that can leverage the candidate data you have inside your ATS to accomplish this.

 

Prioritizing D&I Hiring

Diversity and inclusion aren’t going anywhere.  In fact, we’re just getting started.

It might take some time before we see the results recruiters are keen to deliver.  This is why we have to look at the immediate and longer-term.

Some of these talent pools still need to be built, but while we’re fostering that growth, we can promote D&I throughout the employee lifecycle, beginning with how we hire.

Making it happen

The quickest way to do that is to remove bias by anonymizing candidate qualifications.

Whether we care to admit it or not, everyone involved in hiring introduces at least some bias into the process. We prefer one college over another. We react to names, ages, photos or locations. The list of potential biases is endless, and the best way to reduce bias is to eliminate the possibility entirely.

Anonymization masks information that has the ability to trigger unconscious bias. It directs our attention to objective facts around skills and experience rather than personal attributes and helps broaden those aforementioned talent pools.  

 

Rethinking Internal Mobility

Along with D&I, we’re seeing a renewed focus on internal mobility, because as many employers were reminded when their teams started working from home last year, it’s your employees that keep the business going – not your offices.

We keep hearing that employers are hiring but struggling to find workers – but what about those you currently employ? There’s ample evidence to indicate that many employees might look for new jobs in the coming months, so we have to think about the employee-employer relationship on a deeper level and how it relates to overall career development.

Making it happen

There are two ways to go about this.

First, empower your employees by weaving internal mobility into the culture of the organization. Second, use a technology that’s capable of identifying and recommending candidates for open positions.

Again, this goes back to Lau’s matching mentality around sourcing.

We’re not just filling seats anymore; we’re fostering relationships with candidates who fit the role – these candidates just happen to be on the inside.

The hiring we see today reflects a revised future of work – a future that came about quickly, and we’re still figuring out. As that process continues to unfold, recruiters should seek to solve common hiring problems and create sustainable change in the talent acquisition space.

Working Parents Make Great Employees

Many Employers Have Unintentional Biases Toward Working Parents. Here’s Why They Make Great Employees

According to CNBC, there were an estimated 35 million working mothers at the end of 2019. In 2020, 78.2% of families had at least one parent working. These statistics help to prove the point that parents are hard workers.

Some studies have even shown that parents are better workers. Yet, despite these statistics that point towards a growing workforce that is increasingly family-based, many employers still don’t seem to understand or believe parents can be good workers.

Some employers are even holding fast to stereotypes and stigmas. Some believe that parents are less productive at work because they’re distracted. Or, assume parents need more time off or have to leave unexpectedly for family emergencies.

Why do these biases still exist? Furthermore, how can employers move past them and create working environments for parents that help them to succeed instead of hindering their progress?

Why Parents are Productive

Letting go of the stigma that working parents are a hindrance is crucial for your business’s success. You could be missing out on some of the best possible employees for your company by not hiring people with children at home.

Multiple studies have showcased the value of working parents. Some of these studies show that parents are typically:

  • More productive
  • Great multi-taskers
  • Empathetic
  • Have better time management skills
  • More likely to be in touch with the world and willing to research things

By supporting working parents, you’ll create a happier, less stressful work environment.

Your current employees won’t have to worry about what might happen to them if they decide to start a family. You’ll also retain better talent when your business builds a reputation for supporting all of your employees, no matter what their situations may be.

When you choose to let go of the stigma surrounding working parents, your business will benefit.

Letting Go of the Stigma

In most cases, the bias against parents is unintentional. You may not even realize that you’re letting your antiquated feelings steer your thought process. That’s why it’s so important to bring this stigma to light.

One study published in the Journal of Social Issues found that when people were told an employee was also a mother, they viewed her as less competent. Those in hiring positions had less interest in bringing her on or promoting her.

Another study from the American Sociological Review found that women can lose 7% of their earnings when they become mothers.

Some insist the discrepancies exist due to a decline in employee work ethic. They usually point towards a parent’s need to adjust their schedules when they become parents. They might need to cut back on their hours or ask for more flexibility when it comes to their job.

Although parents may do these things, it doesn’t invalidate their work ethic. Having children doesn’t lower anyone’s ability to do things the right way. It certainly doesn’t impact anyone’s competence.

Ultimately, it’s up to employers to fight back against these strange stigmas that suggest parenthood causes employees to somehow lose their skills. You can do that by supporting working parents, rather than buying into stereotypes.

How You Can Support Working Parents

One way to fight against these stereotypes is to offer appealing incentives to parents that can keep them on as loyal employees for years to come.

Oftentimes, the biggest incentive is offering support. Parents want equality along with every other employee, and that starts with supporting them and their needs. Talk to them. Have an open discussion about what they feel is important. It might include things like:

  • Paid parental leave
  • A family-friendly company culture
  • A safe space for working parents

Those needs might look different for every parent, so creating a “parent policy” that includes flexibility. Oftentimes, this is a great place to start. Consider letting parents work remotely at least a few days a week. If they have the right equipment and home office essentials, they can be just as productive at home without having to leave their children.

It’s also important to understand the value of a working parent’s time. Everyone has a busy schedule, but parents have to deal with multiple schedules. Additionally, they can’t limit their children from doing things just because their working hours are rigid.

Make sure to hold meetings that have value, and don’t fall into the trap of putting a meeting together that could have been an email. Having brainstorming sessions, even via Zoom, is a great way to get everyone on the same page, be productive, and move forward with a new idea or project.

It allows everyone the opportunity to learn about their specific “jobs”, so they can then accomplish them independently.

Supporting parents at work is important for your business. Not only will it create more loyal employees, but you’ll build a positive and productive culture that will help to eliminate stigmas for years to come.

Why almost half of American workers would leave their job for one that offered on-demand pay

As the economy snaps back, there is a current and growing labor crunch.  We know this because our phone is ringing off the hook.  Every hotel chain, every casual dining company, every retailer is asking  – can you help us bring the workforce back to work?

Employers have done their research and have identified a cost-free way they can gain an advantage over their competitors. When it comes to recruiting faster and retaining employees longer, on-demand pay is the solution.

on-demand payIn fact, a recent survey reveals that almost half of those polled would actually leave their job for one that offers on-demand pay, with 11% saying they would change roles for a job paying a similar amount for a sign-on bonus of $50 or less.

That’s compelling evidence that employees see the inefficiency of the current pay system.

Today’s workforce

We are also looking at a fresh workforce at many companies, with 53% of respondents being in their jobs 6 months or less. This modern workforce is digitally enabled, with high expectations of instant access to any goods or services.

No wonder that today’s workforce is not going to wait 2 weeks for money for which they have worked hard.

After all – it’s their money – they have earned it. And what we’ve learned during the pandemic, on-demand pay has evolved from a nice benefit to have to an essential one.

With more than half (52%) of new job seekers looking for on-demand pay in their next job, offering this powerful benefit gives employers an immediate advantage in the labor market.

The data also shows that companies can fill open positions 53% faster when they tell job applicants that they offer on-demand pay.  

That means the job that would have taken 4 weeks to fill, now only takes 2 weeks.  

That’s a meaningful cost savings for employers, and one that helps businesses staff up quicker.

Retention

To complete the virtuous cycle, once those employees are working, they then stay longer than those who don’t use on-demand pay by about 45%, according to the Mercator Advisory Group.  That means someone who might have quit in 3 months, now stays for 5.

The safety and soundness DailyPay offers employees for their earned pay, ensures they can be the best versions of themselves at work. 74% of those asked in a recent survey say having access to their earned income has helped reduce their financial stress—making them more productive and engaged at work.

The research shows they grab extra shifts while absenteeism drops.

Getting people in quicker, and then having those folks stay longer while being more productive is how together we are going to reopen this labor market.

We are in a seminal moment in our country’s history. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to rewrite the invisible rules of money and change the antiquated process of how people are paid. And in doing so, we will help reopen America in a way that is better for everyone.  

PandoLogic Inc. Acquires Conversational AI Recruiting Provider Wade & Wendy

NEW YORK and HERZLIYA, Israel (May 20, 2021) – PandoLogic, the world’s leading provider of programmatic recruitment advertising, today announced its acquisition of conversational AI recruiting provider Wade & Wendy.

The action positions PandoLogic as the only programmatic advertising provider that can define a quality applicant without the inherent bias that results from human intervention.

The acquisition will accelerate the adoption of programmatic job advertising as a best practice by combining PandoLogic’s world-class performance with Wade & Wendy’s AI power for candidate engagement and qualification to ensure delivery of the highest possible volume of only the most qualified applicants.

PandoLogic President and CEO Terry Baker said, “This acquisition reinforces our position as the most technologically advanced provider of AI enabled recruitment automation software. We’re delighted to welcome the Wade & Wendy team to PandoLogic and look forward to our great work together.”

PandoLogic’s primary offering is pandoIQ, a programmatic job advertising platform. PandoIQ automates and optimizes job ad placements to help companies meet hiring needs by predicting optimal yields for recruitment advertising budgets. Making more than 7,000 micro-decisions per minute, pandoIQ eliminates inefficiencies and waste by reaching the right candidates for the right price on the right sites at the right time.

Adding Wade & Wendy’s conversational AI to pandoIQ will deliver a more personalized application and candidate experience. Not only does Wade & Wendy automate the arduous process of scheduling candidate interviews, but it also intelligently transacts time-consuming tasks such as sourcing and screening.

Drew Austin, CEO and founder of Wade & Wendy, shared, “We entertained multiple offers and chose PandoLogic given our strong cultural fit and solid foundation from which to drive future growth. As hiring rebounds sharply, it’s the perfect time for our companies to come together.”

Baker added, “As organizations shift more to remote and hybrid workplaces and diversity hiring escalates in importance, our digital-first, one source of truth approach ensures productive collaboration across teams. Our Hire Intelligence approach just got smarter with Wade and Wendy’s AI enabled contextual engagement for sourcing qualified candidates and PandoLogic’s strong strategic alignment with Wade & Wendy will give our mutual clients the best of both organizations under the PandoLogic brand.”

Madeline Laurano, founder of Aptitude Research, said, “We’re entering one of the hottest job markets in over a decade, making the need to recruit intelligently and hire quickly crucial to organizational viability. Both PandoLogic and Wade & Wendy have consistently demonstrated their ability to drive measurable results for hiring companies and exemplary experiences for job candidates.”

Effective immediately, customers will be able to purchase Wade & Wendy and PandoLogic products independently or as a bundled offering. Other terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.

About Wade & Wendy

Wade & Wendy is an on-demand recruitment automation platform that increases recruiters’ bandwidth to make for a better – and more human – candidate experience.
Their AI recruiter platform automates task-driven recruitment processes: sourcing, screening and recommending qualified & interested candidates.

Founded in 2015, Wade & Wendy has raised $11.5M of funding from investors including ff Venture Capital, Jazz Venture Partners, Indicator Ventures, Slack, and the Randstad Innovation Fund.

About PandoLogic

PandoLogic is the leading programmatic job advertising and vendor management platform in North America. Referred to as the “best-kept secret in HR,” its programmatic job advertising platform, pandoIQ, automates and optimizes job ad placements to help companies meet hiring needs while maximizing recruitment ad spend.

Evaluating 100T job data points and making 7,000 micro-decisions per minute, pandoIQ eliminates inefficiencies and waste by reaching the right candidates on the right sites at the right time for the right price via a single performance-based platform.

One vendor, one source of truth, better results. Learn more at https://pandologic.com/

 

 

Recruiting at Scale, Part 4 – The Essentials

If you’ve been reading along with this series, you know we’ve been looking at the recruiting needs of different organizations – high-growth, small and mid-size businesses, and the enterprise. This leads us to our final installation: the essentials.

Because while every employer operates under a unique set of conditions, accented by distinct challenges and opportunities, the goal for recruiting remains the same: to find the best possible person for the job as efficiently and effectively as possible.

And underpinning these initiatives is a set of fundamental principles that promote positive outcomes and experiences, no matter the organization or hiring landscape. Here’s what you need to consider in theory and practice.

First up: set your foundation. 

Taking high-growth environments as an example, what’s the first thing that goes out the window when the pressure is on? Process, structure, consistency. Because when we’re up against the clock, we start scrambling to get to talent faster, to get our job done. It’s basic psychology.

Strategy, expectations and potential get put on the backburner to fill roles and beat out the competition. The irony being that Maslow would say this represents a deficiency mindset rather than growth.

Cliff Stevenson, Principal Analyst, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Management for Brandon Hall Group, recently wrote,

“Post-pandemic recruitment will involve no new processes, but will involve a completely different way of how those processes play out. Successful organizations will prepare for the future by investing in tools and creating systems that allow for maximum flexibility, regardless of the candidate’s type, location, or any specialized needs.”

So, how do we stay consistent amid uncertain circumstances? We set a strong foundation.

Recruiting works best when there is a framework to follow, one that sets measurable guideposts. To achieve this, you need to define the process, create structure around each step, establish critical metrics and configure technology to meet evolving needs.

Next on the list: candidate care.

Stevenson raises an important point as it relates to processes. Hiring practices remain largely the same from the “before times” – source, engage, apply, interview, offer, hire. But how we interact with candidates continues to change.

For years, the candidate experience seemed abstract, something we talked about improving without knowing how. Today we have a clearer understanding of what this looks like, starting from the first interaction.

For SMB teams, candidate care can seem overwhelming, another task on an already long list. However, as we’ve come to learn, this one takes priority. My colleague, Rachael Buchanan, summarized several actions we can take, including:

  • Communication about where candidates are in the process
  • Giving feedback on why they weren’t selected
  • Keeping candidates interested and informed about the company

Automation is the key to achieving this, sending notifications and sharing updates with candidates, reducing the administrative burden on recruiters, and giving them the time and energy to foster relationships.  

Lauren Smith, Vice President in the Gartner HR practice, commented,

“Recruiters and hiring managers must be prepared to have authentic conversations with candidates and answer their questions about all aspects of the job and employee experience. Those that fail to have transparent, honest conversations will create challenges when candidates join the organization and realize that there is a mismatch between what they were told and what they experience on the job.”

Finally: think holistically.

Smith’s larger point, which leads us into our third and final one, is that recruiting doesn’t end with the offer letter. That’s why you see me use the term “talent journey.” In modern parlance, the journey includes recruiting and everything after, which is why it needs to be part of your overall TA strategy.

For large and enterprise organizations, the modern talent journey is complex, with multiple initiatives and opportunities to account for at any given time.

Having a fully integrated, end-to-end tech stack will streamline and support these, offering insight into diversity and inclusion as well as learning and performance, making it possible for recruiting teams to both see and communicate what comes after onboarding.

The talent journey needs to be front and center throughout the recruiting process. It benefits both the organization as it navigates the labor market and candidates keen to advance their careers.

It is a simple fact that has grown in importance for all organizations and is no longer a “nice to do.” Questions deserve answers, and like candidates being interviewed, employers need to come prepared.

Whether scaling up your recruiting operations or maintaining the status quo, hiring requires a blend of nuance and context – and it all comes down to having the right essentials in place.

10 Tips for Effective Recruiting Emails

In the digital age, employers no longer rely on newspapers, business magazines, or letters to reach out to their potential candidates. Instead, social media and third-party employment websites direct the recruitment process.

Amidst this, the primary means of communication between the potential candidate and the employer is not some chatbot. That’s too casual for professional communication.

Both parties communicate with one another via emails. And so, a recruiter needs to pay great attention to crafting the right email.  After all, it will determine the fate of your staff!

With that said, let’s have a look at a few tips that can help you craft a better recruitment email.

1. Take it to You and Me

Perhaps the first change that you need to make to your traditional email script is the change of pronouns. Cancel out the use of us, we, they, and the. These terms tend to alienate a candidate who is already a stranger to your company. To invite them in, you need to sound more personal and friendly as if this isn’t a company concern but your own.

Talk with first and second-person pronouns in the email, i.e., I and you. In this way, the email seems more personalized and more directed to your reader.

2. Keep it simple

You are reading this article and understanding each bit of it even though you do not write now and then. You probably have nothing to do with email marketing, email crafting, or let’s just generalize this into copywriting and content writing.

Yet you read with ease. Why? Because the goal is to keep it human and simple. How simple? As if I will have only one chance of conveying my say to you and I have to do so without leaving you any questions.

You have to apply the same strategy when crafting an email (even if you’re some super tech-savvy communicating with another potentially super tech-savvy mind.)

You may take things a level ahead when things get finalized but keep your first impression clear and to the point. Avoid sprinkling your recruitment emails with heavy, fancy words that may leave your reader confused and reluctant to get back.

3. Relevancy over and above all

Similar to simplicity, relevancy should be your second top priority. Greetings and a bit about what’s up are alright.

But jumping on to weather conditions or an ongoing success/crisis in your industry isn’t a wise choice. It distracts your reader from the gist of the email and may even have them lose interest.

Say you initially designed a killer recruiting email for in-house members that generated jaw-droppingly good results. Now, your company is all set to begin the second wave of hiring. But this time for remote workers. You cannot use the same email content.

Why? Well, that’s because while it still may be a very powerful email, it is not relevant to your reader. And hence, it will not be as effective.

The incentives that you’re offering to your in-house members, such as a well-equipped environment, aren’t relevant for potential candidates that will be working from home. You could perhaps edit, or better, craft a new email that talks about them from scratch.

4. Opt for a Spacious Format

Emails are already a headache. Aren’t they? Seeing your email flooded daily and hopelessly trying to read and delete them all has you frustrated. No?

It becomes even more frustrating when you decide to give time to a certain email only to find pdf-long text awaiting your attention. Who’s got that much time? Not you. Right?

The same applies to your candidates. They have many things to cater to, and so I’ll advise you to keep your emails short and well-spaced.

5. Keep your emails mobile-friendly

No, don’t get me wrong. By mobile-friendly, we do not refer to any technical attribute of your recruiting email. It’s all in the words you’re compiling together.

When drafting your recruit email, send it to yourself once and analyze if it seems fine on a mobile screen. If the subject line is too lengthy, cut it down to a more mobile-friendly subject line.

6. Don’t settle for the same content

Remember, crafting emails is not a mechanical process. If it were the case, you could go with any generic recruitment email template available online.

Pay attention to the content of your email. Keep it relevant to the current vacancy of requirements of your company. Where possible, keep it relevant to your reader.

Also, keep learning and improving the content of your emails.

7. Focus on the subject line

As mentioned earlier, focus on the length of your subject line. Keep it short and relevant. Avoid adding unnecessary details.

For example, let’s talk is more preferable over let’s discuss this further.

8. Sign Off Warmly

When concluding your email, leave your contact details at the bottom. Ensure that you sign off with your name and position instead of position only.

But most importantly, leave a warm call-to-action statement before calling it off. Invite your reader to the second stage of recruitment politely and gently.

9. Attach relevant sources and documents

If your recruitment process requires any documents from your candidates’ end, let them know. Similarly, if you want them to follow a certain set of guidelines when applying or communicating with the company, or for any follow-up process, make sure you attach a document with complete instructions.

Again, refrain from attaching irrelevant material. It’ll only complicate things.

10. Follow up!

Lastly, don’t forget to follow up! The aim of establishing a personal tone was to build a relationship between yourself and the reader.

In case things do not work out immediately, you need to keep in touch because if not today, they can be in your team someday!

Final Words

Remember, you are looking for a potential team member. You cannot have anyone feel welcomed or eager to be a part of your team unless they feel valued.

So, ensure that you maintain a warm, friendly approach throughout the recruitment process. And of course, this should continue once they’re in as well!

Also, given that the concept of freelancing has become more prevalent than permanent positions, ensure the above-mentioned even if you seek a temporary work relation. It will have a direct impact on your reputation as an employer.

D&I and the Pressure to Deliver

The world is finally – finally – starting to appreciate the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and we’ll all be better for it in the long run.

But we’re not there yet. Not even close.

Mark Feffer broke down the progress (or lack thereof) in a recent piece based on new research from the Workforce Disclosure Initiative. To put it nicely, the numbers were bleak, with only 19 percent of companies even disclosing data about their workforce – an increase from the year before.

Dig a little deeper, and things started looking worse, with 75 percent sharing a gender breakdown but only 36 percent reporting on ethnicity.

So, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that while we might be on the road to D&I, we’re early on, we have a long way to go – and that last part is keeping recruiters up at night.

Recruiters know that D&I doesn’t happen at once. They know this because they know who is in the workforce. But, even so, they’re tasked with not only prioritizing D&I but also delivering – and the pressure is mounting.

Supply chain thinking

Remember all that talk about purple squirrels a while back? Those elusive “perfect” candidates with the right mix of everything?

D&I initiatives have become a purple squirrel hunt. Except there’s a problem. A pink elephant in the room if we’re keeping with cutesy euphemisms.

It’s something few want to admit: there isn’t always the supply of diverse talent needed to satisfy demand. To play the long game, we also need to think about another familiar concept of talent (or candidate) pipelines.

Unfortunately, what we don’t always connect is the similarity between talent pipelines and supply chains. At least not until COVID-19 and coverage of PPE shortages, the skyrocketing price of lumber, and the Ever Given getting stuck in the Suez Canal.

Supply chains are what it takes to bring a product from source to supplier to end-user. Talent pipelines are what it takes to get a job seeker from source to candidate to employee. Chains and pipelines involve interconnected approaches that facilitate an activity – and if one part breaks down, the whole operation feels the effects.

When it comes to D&I, if there aren’t enough diverse job seekers entering the pipeline, there won’t be anyone to hire. So we can start to make a difference by engaging and speaking up, by going where the candidates are – directly to the source.

That’s the first step.

 

Making the investment

To guarantee the sustainability of pipelines, we also have to address the potential shortage of diverse candidates because, unlike consumer goods, candidates don’t get manufactured.

That’s not to suggest the commodification of diversity, but rather, how we understand the systems in place and what it will take to rethink the entire talent lifecycle. We have to acknowledge that inclusion requires investment because many organizations weren’t designed to retain diversity. At least not inherently.  

Take women. It’s a well-known fact that women remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce. Lesser-known are the details of the decades-long journey to change this, beginning with World War II.

Gains have been made, with women making up 27 percent of STEM workers in 2019 versus 8 percent in 1970, but we’re talking about 50 years in between. We have to build the supply chain, which means seeking out, empowering, and developing diverse talent through early exposure, training and learning opportunities, and mentorship and fellowship.

Likewise, we should turn a critical eye to hiring processes. By now, it’s clear that if we keep doing things the same way, our supply chain will get stuck and impact our ability to fill the pipeline.

That includes how we source, engage, and attract candidates today and the strategies and programs we leverage to minimize bias and promote D&I post-hire.

Still, one study out of the U.K. found that ethnic minorities have to send 60 percent more applications to get the same response from employers as their white counterparts. That indicates that the immediate problem is those of us doing the recruiting.

So, we need to use tools that “level the playing field” for these candidates through anonymization. For example, by removing identifying characteristics that can trigger bias, we can match profiles with positions rather than focusing on names, photos, graduation years, or location.

Once we recognize that the future won’t be diverse unless we create it, we alleviate the immediate pressure to deliver.

It’s going to be a long road, one that we’re paving as we go.

What Do You Call Sourcing?

How do you define Sourcing? Is it dark-web Boolean searches? A virtual career fair? Is it a social media post? A monthly call or connection? Or is it research? Yes, yes, and yes.

Search for a definition of talent acquisition sourcing and you will find explanations like Wikipedia that note Sourcing to be the identification, assessment, and engagement of skilled workers.

I don’t disagree with that meaning. However, what needs defining are the behaviors and actions that make up a Sourcers daily workload.

What do you call sourcing

I am a relationship Sourcer. While the hunt for leads is enjoyable, it is the long-term lure that excites me.

I would have made a great fisherman. Patiently waiting and tempting the fish till it bites.

Anglers know that there is bait fishing, fly fishing, bait casting, spinning, and trolling. There is no one-size-fits-all.

Like fishing, there are many ways to go about a passive candidate search.

Old School Conversations

Yep, we still need to pick up the phone. Honestly, I am right there with you. I can barely leave a voicemail anymore that doesn’t mirror the rambling of a preteen.

But practice makes perfect. Although the first few connections can be text or email or socials, the candidate will eventually want to speak to you “live” for the best experience. Try doing a “Talking Tuesday” where once a week you commit to the telephone.

Hit the Pavement

I hope you have your Covid vaccine. If you do, it’s time to get out there! We call these Community Sourcers. But you don’t have to be labeled a Community Sourcer to get out in the world with your actual legs.

In healthcare, we have dietary and environment services roles that are best filled being out in the community, shaking hands, and kissing babies.

Boolean

This is for those Sourcers that are fighting to learn or use Boolean and think “I’m doing fine without it”. You simply can’t uncover 100% of the labor pool without it.  If you have had a few bad teachers, shake it off and find another.

You need to understand the language of the internet to use the internet for sourcing.

Job Fairs

Don’t try to fight me on this. Let Recruiters take the handfuls of resumes back to the office for candidates who are an immediate fit. But the Sourcers must lay claim to all the candidates that refused to stop by the booth, declined, or just simply were unimpressed.

The Sourcer does the follow-up and works the magic with repetitive cadence and reach outs to win the person over. That takes the skill, attention, and commitment that a Sourcer can provide.

Content Marketing

Put ten Sourcers in a room and maybe one has a marketing background. It’s not our forte. However, I urge Sourcers to make the effort to get famous on at least one social media platform and grow followers organically.

Candidates are consumers. They will research you. And a “famous” Sourcer with a reputable social media presence gives candidates confidence. Not to mention it keeps you relevant to a candidate till they are ready to take on a job search.

Research

Shout out to Nancy Nelson, Sourcer at UT Southwestern who told me she was in pre-search on a role, waiting for a report to come back on trends for ideal candidates on a certain role. A Sourcer who looks for trends in schools, degrees, and competitors is to be celebrated.

If you don’t spend time knowing your competitors, you will never know what to leverage.

This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list. Whatever tactics you use—that are legal, moral, and ethical—to find potential passive leads can be called Sourcing.

Don’t try to fit the mold. Carve out your own space. It’s not stupid if it works.

Happy Hunting!

 

Why Corporate America Wants to Hire Junior Military Officers

It’s hard to find candidates more well-matched for leadership roles than Junior Military Officers − or JMOs. JMOs are commissioned leaders of the military and represent only about 3.5% of the approximate 165,000 veterans who separate from the military each year.  

In order to secure this extraordinary source of talent, organizations need to have the right blend of purpose, culture, and opportunity, and recruiters need to have a solid understanding of how the leadership experience acquired by JMOs during their service translates to different roles within the organization.  

While it’s always more difficult to assess leadership qualities than hard skillsets in all candidates, it becomes even more difficult to evaluate the leadership skills of former military officers.

The vast majority of corporate recruiters have never served in the military, and even those who have served can still find it confusing to understand the attributes and skills of officers who served in other branches.  

Getting to Know JMOs

JMOs are mature young leaders who represent a diverse cross-section of America. They’ve earned a BS or BA in technical or nontechnical areas from America’s top universities, and many have advanced degrees as well. 

Most JMOs have served in the military between four and 10 years, and all receive leadership, communications, legal, operational, and functional area training. Typically, JMOs have four to eight years of military leadership experience after graduating college, leading organizations from 20-200 people. 

JMOs are known to be ambitious problem solvers with a willingness to volunteer and help others. Eager to learn and prove themselves as valued team members, JMOs are able to hit the ground running and make an immediate impact on their organization’s bottom line.

They are highly adaptive, excellent developmental candidates, and are often promoted faster than their peers without military experience. JMOs tend to be resolute when it comes to integrity, and will not tolerate an individual or organization that compromises their ethics. 

What type of corporate roles are JMOs best suited for?

The military is a giant organization giving officers opportunities to lead in many areas including engineering, construction, cybersecurity, maintenance, and logistics. Most JMOs are well suited for mid-level leadership roles in operations, sales, and high-tech environments, and are trained for project management and balancing timelines, people, and technology. 

Branch of service too can come into play. For example, the Navy and Air Force teach a more Total Quality Management (TQM) style of leadership which is compatible with roles in engineering and technology.

The Army and Marine Corps provide leadership experience that is better suited for roles in areas such as sales, operations, and leadership development.

Best Practices to Win JMO Talent

Unfortunately many organizations look to hire JMOs only in order to meet regulatory and diversity requirements. If an organization wants to truly maximize this source of talent, it needs to view JMOs as fast trackers who can significantly contribute to company P&L performance.

Here are four practices we recommend to realize the full potential of your JMO hiring efforts:  

1. Buy-in and sponsorship from leadership

Company operational leaders, Talent Acquisition and HR need to work together in prioritizing the goals and strategy for the initiative.  Considerations should include prioritizing the hiring effort, identifying the best starting roles, creating programs that allow JMOs to learn multiple functional areas of the company’s business, and investing in veterans once they become employees. 

2. Mentorship, formal training, and Leadership Development Programs (LDP)

JMOs crave mentorship, purpose, and a leadership path, and it’s not uncommon for JMOs to relocate multiple times in order to move up within an organization.

Although there is no one-size-fits-all LDP, an effective program will expose JMOs to different areas of a company and provide opportunities to grow and lead through all segments.  

It is not unusual for JMOs to accept a position before they transition to civilian life, so consider interviewing military candidates six months before they leave the service, and always provide information on your upcoming developmental and training classes.

3. Educate recruiters on military occupations and skillsets

Matching a JMO to the right job is challenging, and most HR professionals lack relevant knowledge of military structure, operations, and ranks.  

Recruiters can educate themselves by conducting more in-depth face-to-face interviews (virtual or in-person) with veteran candidates, referring to past successes within the company or industry, and seeking out employees who may be veterans to serve as a resource.

Referencing the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) is also helpful in learning about military roles, responsibilities, and kinds of training received in the service.

4. Make your brand more attractive to JMOs

While practices to attract JMOs are not a defined science, making the investment to build a military-friendly employer brand and widely promote leadership programs is a head start.

These future business leaders look for successful and purpose-driven companies with clearly defined missions, so be sure these messages come across on your website and in outreach communications.

 

The unemployment rate for JMOs falls well below that of the overall veteran unemployment rate, demonstrating that corporate America has a thirst for them.

Organizations that understand and embrace that JMOs seek recognition and leadership opportunities in organizations in which they take pride have the upper hand in winning over this exemplary group of individuals.