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Hire Fast, Stay Fast: 3 Partnership Models to Speed Up Talent Acquisition

We are living in unprecedented times. While on the one hand, customers are demanding next-generation technologies, solutions, and services almost tomorrow, on the other hand, we are seeing unprecedented skill and talent shortages. The real challenge is bringing the correct talent to the organizations to address the business demand quickly. If organizations don’t build the capabilities fast enough, they risk losing their customers to competitors. Most organizations have no choice but to look for ways to speed up hiring the right talents and make the onboarding process efficient enough to get them ready for the job faster.

Recruitment professionals and talent acquisition experts can deploy three complementary partnerships to speed up the hiring and deployment process.

Freelance and Contractual Workers

In 2021, the pandemic brought a massive ramp-up of businesses. However, organizations struggled to acquire the right talent and skilled workers. During that time, the freelance or contractual workforce pool has emerged as an unlikely source for closing mainstream positions. Such an avenue would have been ruled out in the past. However, now it makes financial and strategic sense. More importantly, it is super fast to bring them on board.

Some freelance platforms have recently added freelance management tools for corporations to manage efficient workflow and project delivery from freelancers.

If project quality can be quantified or measured using well-defined standards, this route of recruiting talent provides access to millions of untapped expert freelancers at a much faster rate than any other channel. In particular, project-driven, time-bound assignments requiring little face time with the worker are finding their way onto this route.

As a talent acquisition expert, the first leverage you have is striking partnerships with freelance sourcing companies as well as freelance platforms, which will allow you to search for the right talent that can fit well for a given project. However, you must work with clients to convert their regular employee requirements into a phased approach, in which the first phase is scoping project-driven assignments for the selected freelancers.

Recent College Graduates

Historically, larger organizations preferred experienced professionals, as they did not have to invest much in training. But now, another channel has emerged that gives the advantage of speeding up hiring. The organizations can now leverage an endless supply of recent college graduates in highly socialized streams.

Gen Z is up for more dynamic roles where skills get updated frequently or technologies are moving faster. Job roles in coding, multimedia, video marketing, social media, AI, automation and field service are some areas where fresh graduates can be leveraged at lightning speed.

To be successful with this channel, you need a four-step approach.

Offer Marketable Skills in Job Description

First, you need to make sure that the job scope is re-written to reflect ‘marketable skills.’ In general, Gen Zs do not focus on long-term career goals but are on a spree to acquire marketable skills they can apply in their future endeavors.

Strike Partnerships with educational institutions

Second, strike partnerships with leading institutes and universities. Stay on top of the scope of programs offered by various educational and professional institutions. Depending on current market trends, most degree programs are moving into niche specializations, such as AI. You must watch how graduates from a specific specialization stream can address your talent acquisition gaps.

In this process, look at professional bodies offering non-degree programs, certifications and micro-credentials. A specific collection of micro-credentials may be evidence of a sufficient skillset for a particular role.

Hire for Learnability

Third, you need to make sure you are hiring for learnability. As a hiring professional, it is essential to prioritize candidates who demonstrate a growth mindset, a thirst for continuous learning, and the ability to adapt to emerging demands swiftly. Investing in individuals with high learnability ensures they can quickly acquire new skills and contribute to the job by producing expected outcomes. When hiring for learnability, it is crucial to look beyond a candidate’s existing skill set and evaluate their potential for growth and adaptation.

Guide the Organization With Efficient Job Readiness Training

Fourth, it would be best to work with your client organizations to design shorter and quicker skill development training programs that are short enough to keep Gen Z engaged and deep enough to give them marketable skills.

The Job Redefinition Process

Most organizations fail to hire fast enough because they have not upgraded their job roles or definitions corresponding to the new technological, customer demand, and workflow trends. It is much harder to find experienced employees for jobs that are much wider in scope. Highly specialized technologies and solutions now demand equally specialized or niche roles instead of hiring people to deliver traditionally wide roles and responsibilities. Across the board, in light of new advanced technologies and shorter skill shelf-life, several positions need to be redefined and others need to be displaced.

Thus, a faster way to address the labor shortage is via the job redefinition process. When the broader job roles are redefined or split into multiple niche roles to accommodate newer working methods or market demand, the likelihood of hiring specialists from a freelancing or contractual pool is higher.

As a hiring expert, you can partner with your clients to offer expertise to redefine some critical jobs where they see the talent shortage. If hiring for your organization, align your senior leadership with this approach. With such collaborative efforts, you could redefine the roles that could fall under different buckets.

One bucket could be reassigning the roles from within the organizations to those with allied or transferable skills. In this case, your recommendation to the client organization is to hasten the reskilling and upskilling of existing staff to take up those roles that are becoming challenging to hire from the open market.

By partnering in this process, you support your clients with the expertise you have even though you are not acquiring talent from outside. During this process, you might be able to scope specific roles that perfectly fit the first two channels: freelancers and new college graduates.

Final Thoughts

In these unprecedented times, you must be strategic in approaching hiring decisions. In a nutshell, you would stand betternchances to stay ahead of the market if you do three things: 1) strike a partnership with freelancing agencies or platforms, 2) strike a fruitful partnership with educational institutions, including professional and certifying bodies, 3) strike a partnership with your client organization (or your senior leadership) to redefine the scope of jobs where critical lack of talent is hurting the business.

Attracting Top Talent in the Digital Nomad Era

Finding and retaining top talent is key in the modern business landscape. However, many of today’s high-performing employees don’t want to spend their workday stuck behind a desk. In fact, they may not want to come into the office at all.

Appealing to highly qualified digital nomads can be tricky. If you want to tap into the digital nomad talent pool, you’ll need to offer some strategic perks to help support those who live and work on the road.

You’ll also need to revise your approach to interviews, hiring and onboarding. This will increase the volume of applications you receive and improve your chances of finding the right candidate.

Understanding Digital Nomads

Current estimates suggest that 16.9 million Americans are digital nomads. That means roughly 10% of the American workforce (167.9 million) now live and work on the road. While folks may choose to work remotely for many reasons, 74.9% say they decided to make the leap after the pandemic.

There’s no consensus on what, exactly, makes a digital nomad. However, most agree that digital nomads are employees or freelancers who work from multiple locations. Many folks make this decision in search of greater freedom, an improved work-life balance, and a desire to see more of the world. Those who work on the road may also experience common benefits of remote work, such as:

  • Increased financial freedom
  • Improved health and wellness
  • Higher work satisfaction
  • A better family life

It’s important to recognize that, though they prioritize freedom, digital nomads still care deeply about their career progression and professional reputation. Just like office-bound employees, digital nomads are looking for positions that are fulfilling, engaging, and offer growth. This is good news from a recruiting perspective, as you don’t have to reinvent your entire approach to hiring remote candidates.

Appealing to Nomads

Hiring digital nomads can deepen your company’s talent pool and raise the standards at your place of work. However, if you want to attract top talent you’ll need to offer some serious perks and incentives.

When drafting recruiting materials, research perks that would directly benefit digital nomads. For example, if you want to hire folks who work on the road, you should probably offer van upgrades for remote workers. Focus on ways you can help with important van life perks like unlimited data plans, in-built Wi-Fi devices, international calls and hotspot enhancers. This will build interest amongst digital nomads and improve their performance after they sign a contract.

While many digital nomads are happy with their lives on the road, some may want to settle down and enjoy the benefits of permanently relocating for a job. Appeal to digital nomads with their eye on the long term by continuing to offer relocation assistance packages. This will reduce turnover at your firm, build interest amongst career-oriented applicants and help digital nomads transition to life in one place.

Be clear about your company’s expectations for digital nomads before you conduct any interviews. Clear expectations regarding time commitments and deadlines will help digital nomads figure out if a position is right for them. This reduces the amount of time you spend assessing folks who wouldn’t actually be a good fit for the role and helps you focus on running a flexible hiring and onboarding process.

Flexible Hiring and Onboarding

Flexibility is king when working with digital nomads. Nothing will turn off talented applicants like mandating strict working hours or offering restricted times for interviews. The folks who make their living on the road will refuse to build their life around your business and will withdraw their application if you try to make them fit the 9-to-5 model.

Give applicants a greater sense of autonomy during the hiring and interview process. Free up more time than usual for interviews and be prepared to schedule calls with folks who live and work in different time zones. This will deepen your talent pool and help you build appeal during the interview process.

If you struggle to find a mutually agreeable time to conduct interviews, consider hosting asynchronous interviews instead. Asynchronous interviews replicate the back-and-forth structure of an in-person interview but give folks time to respond at their own pace. This also helps you assess potential hires’ digital aptitude, as they’ll need to work through simple programs to provide answers to your questions.

Lean heavily on asynchronous learning when onboarding new hires. Asynchronous onboarding allows folks to work at their own pace during times that work best for them. Before scheduling any calls or remote meetings, ask your new hires to provide their available hours. This means that you won’t accidentally take them away from their family time in order to review their onboarding progress.

Conclusion

Recruiting remote workers in the digital nomad era requires adaptability and flexibility at every step. Try to make the process as easy as possible by clearly communicating your expectations and hosting asynchronous interviews/onboarding. Follow up by offering benefits and perks that appeal to digital nomads, as this will deepen your applicant pool and attract highly qualified, career-oriented employees.

How To Successfully Personalize The Recruitment Process For Candidates

To provide insights into how to better personalize the recruitment process, we asked seven professionals, including career and talent experts, to share their experiences. From tailoring benefits to a candidate’s personality to accommodating unique needs for a successful hire, these experts share their successful strategies and the impact they had on candidates’ perception of their organizations.

Tailor Benefits to a Candidate’s Personality

Recently, we got a case where matching the benefits according to the candidate’s personality did a great job for the hiring process. We were looking for a quite specific specialist, and our pool was quite narrow. However, a few fitting candidates played into our hands, as we could do detailed research for each of them.

Furthermore, in the course of the interviews and candidate nurturing, we managed to get even deeper insights and tailor our final offer and benefits plan accordingly. Believe it or not, sometimes offering pet insurance to a candidate can do the trick, especially when it goes with a mention of a pet’s name.

Tania Doshko
Career Expert and Content Manager, CryptoJobsList

Engage Candidates Through Personalized Outreach

I was working on a very niche executive search two years ago. Many of my outreach efforts were falling flat, so I focused on my top 15 candidates and delved deeper to get them to respond.

I reviewed each profile to find their passion, be it sports, music, time with family, etc. For one particular candidate, I noticed they had posted some items relating Lady Gaga to being a founder of a startup. Being a Gaga fan myself, I decided to be edgy and craft subject lines to see if I could get a response.

One example: “I’m your biggest fan…I’m your Paparazzi” was the subject line of one email. In the email’s body, I shared my passion for Gaga and mentioned I was a fan of the candidate’s work history and posts on key topics related to the search. I even went outside of my comfort zone and inserted a GIF from the video.

The candidate responded in hours and commented that they enjoyed the personalization of the email and that it was what made her respond.

Trent Cotton
Senior Director of Talent, Hatchworks

Influences a Candidate’s Decision with Personalized Assistance

This goes way back to when I was the HR manager for a small animal hospital. We had little resources, but we wanted to hire the best and the brightest. Because of that, I would often go out of my way for candidates.

One time, we were hiring someone out of state but didn’t have the money to fly them in for house hunting. I got them a real estate agent, and I went to at least 12 houses and made videos for them of me narrating a walk-through so that they could feel comfortable about moving across the country and moving into a new home in a new state to come work for us.

Years later, the candidate told me that my doing that is what made them decide to come for the company.

Tamica Sears
HR Consultant, Sears Coaching

Enhance Perception with Transparency and Opportunity

When I was an in-house DEI leader, I met with offer-stage candidates who wanted to learn more about our investment in DEI. With one promising candidate, it was a critical factor when deciding whether to accept their offer.

During the conversation, I gave them explicit permission to ask me anything. I was transparent about where the company excelled and where we needed to improve, which they appreciated. I also highlighted opportunities where they could contribute. The candidate expressed gratitude for the transparency and left with greater confidence in the organization.

After accepting their offer, they went on to serve as an employee resource group leader and an advocate for inclusive workplace norms.

Alex Lahmeyer
Founder and DEI Consultant, Boundless Arc

Address a Candidate’s Concerns for Successful Recruitment

We were in fierce competition with a Fortune 10 company for a top candidate. This candidate was not only exceptionally talented and highly successful but also a working mom. We knew from conversations that a big sticking point was that she felt some amount of guilt about upending her children’s lives for an opportunity that would take her across the country.

So, we planned a family weekend with school tours and neighborhood visits so she could envision her family thriving in the new city. We took care of every detail. Her son had a beloved pet lizard and was afraid his lizard wouldn’t thrive in this colder climate. We went as far as to find a local reptile expert her son could meet for reassurance.

We’ve found that when you take the time to deeply understand a candidate’s root fears and desires, you can serve them well during a stressful time of their lives.

Ultimately, she ended up taking the role, and the move opened up opportunities for not only her but her whole family.

Michael Morgan
Managing Director, Medallion Partners

Take a Tailored Approach

In a unique situation at NamanHR, I led the recruitment of marketing executives without an HR head. I personalized the process to align candidates with our culture and values, positively impacting their perception of our organization.

Using our LinkedIn page, I posted a job description reflecting our innovative and transparent approach. During phone screenings, I delved deep into their expectations and aspirations, aligning their goals with the roles and responsibilities within our organization. To assess content-writing skills, I tailored assignment rounds to candidates’ communication abilities.

The final interviews focused on cultural fit and values alignment. I openly discussed the pros and cons of working with me and the organization, setting clear expectations. Candidates appreciated the individualized approach and open communication. This process showcased the power of a tailored approach to significantly influence candidates’ perceptions of our organization.

Prachi Zalani
Marketing Manager, NamanHR

Accommodate Unique Needs for Successful Hire

I interviewed a candidate for a role in our offices, and their resume was flawless. They were the perfect person for the job, and I had already made up my mind to hire them, until the interview. They were visibly shaking, monotone and had very little to say to my questions. I couldn’t make sense of it.

What had them so shaken up? The next day, they emailed us, explaining that they had this uncontrollable response in every first interview, but that if we will do a few more, it would subside. So, we accommodated the candidate and did four interviews. By the fourth one, they had no panic and confirmed that they were the perfect person to hire.

Rick Berres
Owner, Honey-Doers

AI Candidate Assessments: The Hiring Process Now

In 2019 the Harvard Business Review asked: Should HR teams use AI to assess candidates? With the notion that algorithms could be less biased and more structured in decision-making than humans, the answer was a cautious yes. Fast forward four years, and 73% of HR teams surveyed by Eightfold AI are going ahead with AI for recruiting and hiring. The use of artificial intelligence within candidate assessments is not a future trend anymore as it seemed just a few years ago, it’s well within reach and being used by the HR masses.

Candidate Assessments: Standard Vs. AI-Powered

The difference between a candidate assessment and an AI-candidate assessment is that one is manual and the other isn’t, although both are attempting to determine the suitability of a candidate for a given role. To fully unpack these concepts, let’s take a couple steps back and look at some basic definitions. A candidate assessment can be defined as follows:

“A process whereby a potential employer evaluates the skills, experience, and qualifications of a job candidate. This assessment may take the form of an interview, a written examination or a work sample test.”

Candidate assessments are typically conducted by a person, whereas those driven by AI are facilitated by a person but analyzed by an algorithm. An AI candidate assessment is defined as an assessment solution that uses:

“[G]amification, skills testing, and behavioral assessments to efficiently measure candidate competency and personality traits. AI algorithms analyze the data generated by these comprehensive assessments to provide an in-depth report on a candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, personality traits, social skills, and cultural fit.”

The ability to automatically measure candidates as described above makes a lot of sense. HR teams can get insights about candidate skills and detailed analyses about their responses for example that they may otherwise not have had access to. Data like this can lead to better hiring decisions. And, from skill assessments to culture fit evaluations, there are plenty of customizable AI assessment tools to choose from! Let’s take a closer look at why AI should be used in candidate assessments and when it makes the most sense to leverage this technology.

Here’s Why AI Works for Assessments

The process any organization takes to hire takes time. As Jobylon explains, the recruitment and talent acquisition process – everything from sourcing candidates to screening them, interviewing them and more – is both resource and time consuming, not to mention any challenges bound to arise. Automating these processes gives hiring teams the gift of time, efficiency and even greater depth or accuracy in their hiring process results.

Consider that as many as 75% of HR Managers have caught a lie on a resume before. Existing and manual methods of screening and assessing candidates are failing HR teams from the get go. Adding AI allows hiring teams to move beyond resumes to accurately assess if candidates are the right fit for the job.

In addition, AI also “democratizes the hiring process.” Hey Milo explains, by giving candidates who may otherwise have been overlooked a fairer chance of being hired. They say most screening software built into ATS systems use keywords and rigid criteria to filter candidates, whereas “AI agents disrupt this pattern by offering technical screening, allowing candidates to showcase their skills and talents beyond the limitations of automated keyword filters. When more candidates are afforded the chance to exhibit their abilities and engage in interviews, the candidate pool grows, ultimately enhancing the quality of hires.”

There are plenty of benefits AI offers to candidate assessments and the HR teams that require these tools. These perks vary depending on the type of system being used.

The Benefits of AI in Assessments

AI applied to almost any industry will add speed and efficiency to the tasks the technology is being applied to. That speed grants hiring teams the ability to find the best candidates faster, while taking repetitive tasks out of their hands so they can allocate time to more valuable tasks like strategic planning.

Additionally AI technologies can “provide data-driven insights and recommendations so managers can make informed decisions.” What’s even more powerful about these decisions is that AI can remove any element of prejudice and bias from this process by being blind to candidates’ physical or educational traits for example and focusing only on performance indicators.

The high-level benefits of AI for candidate assessments can be summarized as follows:

  • Automated manual hiring tasks (efficiency, time savings, more productivity)
  • Reduced time to hire (automating tasks like resume parsing, screening and interviewing saves time)
  • Reduced cost of hiring from time savings and potentially better results (higher candidate engagement rates and increased accuracy in analysis)
  • Improved recruiter and candidate experience from more accurate and less time consuming processes
  • Reduced unconscious bias

These benefits are broad, and typical for AI innovation improvements. Depending on the specific application of the technology the benefits could be further reaching. The following use cases demonstrate how AI can benefit different parts of the candidate screening and assessment process:

  • Streamlined assessments
  • Identifying unconventional credentials
  • Completing technical pre-screening
  • Improved candidate matchmaking
  • Improved candidate evaluation

Merit HR adds anonymized screening, Hey Milo adds voice agents and Grit Search adds background and reference checks to the list of use cases above for AI within candidate assessments – each one with its own unique benefits to the HR teams using them and their particular processes.

When Hiring Teams Should Use AI Technology in Assessments

Here’s the thing. AI isn’t actually new in the world of assessments and if you’re asking yourself if you should use AI, you may already be! According to Aon, AI has been used within talent assessments since the 1990s when paper-based tests became computerized with automated scores and interpretive reports. Things have evolved drastically since then.

We know that there are at least 160 AI-powered HR tools in use today. If you have a specific purpose or problem you’re trying to solve, and an AI tool exists to solve it, it’s likely best to just buy that tool to do the job if your team is ready.

The short answer is now is the best time to start using AI within candidate assessments if you’re not already – not only has it been working for decades already in this department, there are so many solutions available to offer HR teams those plentiful benefits listed above.

Automated assessments become essential as the scale of hiring increases. For example, according to the  Washington Post, “Work experts say employers mostly use the technology for openings that draw large numbers of candidates or to help fill hundreds of jobs at a time.” Any team involved in high-volume recruitment and talent acquisition stands to gain more from the implementation of AI technology in their candidate assessment processes.

Getting a Handle on AI and Assessments for the Better

There are a number of reasons why adding AI into the candidate assessment process makes sense, not to mention associated benefits alongside all the unique use cases. HR teams can improve their hiring metrics and actually have a better experience along the way.

That said, AI systems are not without their challenges like the defensibility of the system’s decisions or the handling of data for example. HR teams need to look for tools that will offer them a pilot for free so they can get a good sense of the system without taking the risks first.

And while implementing AI into assessments removes human tasks from the process, it could also make hiring more human by allowing more time for empathizing and listening to candidates. AI candidate assessments are tools designed to improve the lives of the humans behind the HR teams using them, like so many who are already living those benefits.

Effective Cross-Functional Collaboration in the Hiring Process

Recruiting new team members can be a difficult task, especially when it comes to finding the right fit for your organization. In 2023, nearly 80% of employers stated that finding the right person for the job has become more challenging. However, by implementing effective cross-functional collaboration in the hiring process, you can improve your recruitment efforts and increase your chances of selecting the right candidate.

Cross-functional collaboration means involving multiple departments and stakeholders in the recruitment process to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of each candidate. By doing so, you can benefit from different perspectives, leading to better decision-making and improved candidate assessment.

Benefits of Cross-Functional Collaboration

Leveraging cross-functional collaboration in the hiring process has several benefits that can impact your organization’s success.

  • Improved decision-making: Cross-functional collaboration enables you to evaluate candidates from different angles and perspectives, leading to more well-rounded and informed hiring decisions.
  • Enhanced candidate assessment: Involving multiple team members allows you to assess a candidate’s fit for the role from different perspectives, including technical skills, cultural fit and team dynamics.
  • Increased efficiency: Cross-functional collaboration can help smooth out the hiring process by eliminating communication gaps, removing redundancies and ensuring all stakeholders are aligned on candidate requirements.
  • Reduces hiring biases: Collaboration helps reduce biases by incorporating diverse perspectives into candidate assessment.

The expertise of different departments and stakeholders in the hiring process can result in better hires and a stronger team.

Implementing Cross-Functional Collaboration

To implement cross-functional collaboration in your organization’s hiring process, you need to establish clear communication channels.

  • Define roles and responsibilities: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member involved in the recruitment process and ensure that everyone is aware of their tasks and deadlines.
  • Hold regular meetings: Set up regular meetings for cross-functional teams to discuss progress, share information and updates and resolve any issues or conflicts.
  • Stimulate effective communication: Use collaboration tools such as chat platforms and shared project management systems so all stakeholders can communicate effectively.
  • Share relevant information: Ensure all departments involved in the recruitment process have access to the same information and data. This includes candidate resumes, application responses and feedback or notes from previous interviews. Using recruiting software, such as an ATS, can help streamline the process of sharing relevant information.
  • Stay aligned on candidate requirements: This includes the necessary skills, experience and qualifications required for the position.

Key Stakeholders in Cross-Functional Collaboration

Identifying and engaging key stakeholders who can bring their expertise to the table is important for the success of the hiring process. It involves a range of individuals and departments, each with unique roles and contributions.

HR Department

The Human Resources (HR) department is the backbone of cross-functional collaboration for hiring. They guide the entire process, from initial job postings to final onboarding. HR professionals often handle the administrative aspects of recruitment, ensuring compliance with regulations and maintaining records. Additionally, they are the bridge for communication between other departments.

Hiring Managers

Hiring managers are at the forefront of candidate selection. Their responsibilities include defining the job requirements, creating job descriptions, and conducting interviews. They bring their department-specific expertise to evaluate candidates’ skills and suitability for the team. Hiring managers are integral in determining whether a candidate aligns with the specific needs of the role they’re looking to fill.

Department Heads and Team Leads

Department heads and team leads have in-depth knowledge of their teams’ dynamics and the skills required for success. Their input is vital in assessing a candidate’s compatibility with the existing team and the broader department.

Potential Involvement of Other Departments

While HR, hiring managers, department heads, and team leads are typically the core stakeholders in the hiring process, other departments can also play essential roles. For instance, the IT department may evaluate a candidate’s technical skills, while the legal department may assess compliance and contractual matters. Marketing and sales teams can offer valuable insights when hiring for customer-facing roles, and cross-functional teams can help evaluate candidates from a holistic organizational perspective.

Collaboration among these critical stakeholders leverages the expertise of each department.

Collaborative Candidate Evaluations

One of the main benefits of cross-functional collaboration in the hiring process is the ability to conduct collaborative candidate evaluations.

Collaborative candidate evaluations can also reduce bias in the recruitment process. The involvement of multiple stakeholders in the evaluation process ensures that each candidate is objectively assessed based on their skills, experience and fit for the role.

How to Conduct Collaborative Candidate Evaluations

When conducting collaborative candidate evaluations, it’s important to establish clear evaluation criteria. Furthermore, each team member must know their role in the process. Collaboration tools, such as a shared spreadsheet or project management software, can help the evaluation process by keeping everyone on the same page.

During candidate evaluations, ask probing questions, share relevant information and consider each other’s perspectives when discussing candidates.

The Benefits of Collaborative Candidate Evaluations

Collaborative candidate evaluations can have several benefits for the hiring process, including:

  • More accurate candidate assessments
  • Reduced bias in the recruitment process
  • Increased team alignment and collaboration
  • Improved decision-making processes

Streamlining Decision-Making Processes

Maximizing cross-functional collaboration can also enhance your decision-making when selecting new team members. We’ve already discussed some techniques, such as establishing clear evaluation criteria and assigning roles and responsibilities. Here are more strategies to optimize your staffing choices:

  1. Utilize a scorecard: Use a scorecard to rank candidates based on predetermined evaluation criteria. A scorecard can streamline the evaluation process, making it easier to select the best candidate for the job.
  2. Collaborate on final selection: Involve all relevant stakeholders in the final selection process to ensure that the chosen candidate meets the needs of all departments, not just one.
  3. Speed up onboarding: Collaborate to develop an efficient onboarding process that allows new team members to integrate into their respective departments and projects quickly.

Overcoming Challenges in Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaborating across departments during the hiring process can bring significant benefits, but it also comes with challenges. Many organizations find it to be challenging to recruit diverse candidates or to reduce obstacles in the process. Here are some common challenges you may face and tips on how to overcome them:

Conflicting Priorities

When recruiting for a new position, departments may have different priorities and needs. That’s why clear communication channels and aligning on the key requirements for the role are so important. Encourage open dialogue and find common ground to ensure everyone’s needs are met.

Communication Gaps

Misunderstandings or lack of information sharing can lead to delays and mistakes in the hiring process. Utilize collaboration tools such as project management software or video conferencing to promote efficient communication.

Differing Evaluation Criteria

Each department may have specific evaluation criteria for candidates, which can lead to confusion and disagreement. Encourage input from all stakeholders to gain a well-rounded perspective on each candidate. Furthermore, use objective data and metrics to support hiring decisions. Data often provides a common ground for resolving disagreements.

Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is a natural response when introducing a new way of doing things. Provide education and training to make sure all parties involved understand the new process. Moreover, involve team members in the decision-making process. When people feel their input is valued, they are more likely to embrace change. Lastly, introduce cross-functional collaboration gradually. Begin with small pilot projects to demonstrate its effectiveness and build trust

Overcoming challenges in cross-functional collaboration during the hiring process requires open communication, shared goals, and a willingness to compromise. Remind team members of the common goal – making successful hires. Emphasize that collaboration and consensus lead to better outcomes.

Effective cross-functional collaboration is crucial in the hiring process because it ensures the recruitment of the best candidates and boosts team efficiency.

By understanding the different stages of the hiring process and involving various departments and stakeholders, you can effectively apply a cross-functional strategy in the hiring process that provides a positive experience for both the company and applicants.

The Sourcing Toolbelt: Link Previews Will Turbo Charge Your Google Searching

In the vast realm of online searches, efficiency is key. As an avid searcher, constantly sifting through results can be time-consuming and often frustrating. Today, we explore a powerful FREE tool that aims to revolutionize the search experience—enter Search and Link Preview.

Streamline Your Web Crawling with Link Preview

One common dilemma during searches is the need to assess multiple links to determine their relevance. With Search and Link Preview, this challenge becomes a thing of the past. Let’s delve into a practical example—a resume search. Instead of opening each link individually, this tool allows users to highlight a link and preview its content seamlessly. Whether you need a closer look, wish to enlarge or shrink the preview, or swiftly move on, the process is quick and intuitive.

For many, navigating LinkedIn can be a cumbersome task, especially when exploring profiles with limited information. Search and Link Preview simplifies this process by providing a preview without the need to open each profile individually. An excellent example is the tool’s capability to extract emails from LinkedIn profiles. Hover over an email, preview it, and make an informed decision—all without the hassle of jumping between tabs.

The Simplicity Advantage

The beauty of Search and Link Preview lies in its simplicity. A Chrome extension that lives up to its promise, it offers a straightforward and efficient solution to the common challenges faced during online searches. Its user-friendly interface ensures a seamless experience, making it a valuable asset for anyone navigating the vast landscape of information online.

Search and Link Preview emerges as a must-have tool for those seeking to optimize their online search processes. Its ability to streamline the evaluation of search results, particularly in the realms of resumes and LinkedIn, sets it apart. As we navigate the digital highways of information, this Chrome extension proves that simplicity is indeed the ultimate sophistication.

May the source be with you.

Other Dean Da Costa Content:

Dean has a free page of sourcing tools, links, and other recruiting resources that we highly recommend you check out! That page has an overwhelming amount of stuff, so you gotta really love sourcing to appreciate the infinite hours of work Dean has put into it. For all of the Dean Da Costa resources on RecruitingDaily, click here!

Why You Should Hire for Learnability

In the wake of the pandemic, countless organizations have encountered formidable challenges, causing them to stumble and lose their footing. In these uncertain times, organizations have faced intense competitive pressures, striving to regain market share, differentiate themselves in saturated markets and retain customers by offering innovative solutions. Consequently, traditional measures such as skill sets, training and expertise alone have proven inadequate. The speed of employee learning is emerging as the paramount criterion for hiring the right fit. Relying solely on skills suited for an outdated world will leave individuals ill-equipped to navigate change, underscoring the significance of ongoing learning.

The Trait of Learnability

Eric Hoffer, a noted social philosopher and author, said, “In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” His quote rightly lays out a crucial distinction between the “learners” and the “learned.”

The “learned” are those who take pride in their mastery of a particular skill set, while the “learners” comprehend that the shelf life of skills is inherently limited, necessitating adaptability in the face of changing times. In today’s dynamic marketspace, the lifespan of skills has shrunk to less than six months. This means that even individuals newly hired with the most up-to-date skills must quickly relearn an entirely new set of proficiencies. Consequently, investing time, energy, and resources into developing specific skills alone is insufficient for sustaining long-term success; instead, the ability to continually acquire and adapt new skills is paramount.

Consider the domain of writing as an illustration. An individual may have garnered accolades through a language degree, accumulated substantial experience as a writer and editor. However, with the advent of AI and the integration of chatbots, the landscape is rapidly evolving. As a professional in this field, one must embrace the need to work alongside this new technology, rather than resisting or disregarding it. This example exemplifies the broader reality across various professional fields that undergo constant innovation at a staggering pace.

The ever-changing nature of the professional landscape demands a proactive approach to learning and adaptability. It is no longer sufficient to rely solely on past achievements or established expertise. Instead, the ability to relearn, acquire new skills, and integrate emerging technologies becomes the key to sustained success. Embracing a mindset of perpetual learning and remaining open to new possibilities allows professionals to stay ahead of the curve, harness innovation and drive their organizations forward.

As a training and hiring manager, I have discovered that most skills and traits can be developed through proper opportunities, frameworks, and time dedicated to employee growth. However, one key factor that significantly impacts the speed of success for prospective employees is their “learnability” and “learning capacity.” Learnability refers to the ability to acquire unfamiliar skills or behaviors and determines how quickly an individual can adapt and perform. On the other hand, learning capacity denotes the extent to which an individual can acquire multiple skills in diverse contexts, ultimately determining their ability to handle complex assignments.

Why Hire for Learnability

In the era of speed, organizations must recognize the immense value of hiring for learnability. The focus should extend beyond a candidate’s current skill set or experience when seeking new talent. Prioritizing individuals who demonstrate a strong inclination and ability to continuously learn and adapt ensures that the organization is equipped to navigate the challenges of an ever-evolving landscape. Companies that hire for learnability stand a chance to foster innovation, resilience, and competitive advantage.

Whether you find yourself in a position of hiring authority or seeking employment, the recognition of learnability as a critical attribute is vital.

As a hiring manager, it is essential to prioritize candidates who demonstrate a growth mindset, a thirst for continuous learning and the ability to adapt to emerging demands.

As a job seeker, when you recognize the impact of your own learnability and the speed at which you can acquire new knowledge and skills, you stand a chance to distinguish yourself from other candidates. Cultivating this self-awareness regarding your own learnability and actively pursuing opportunities for growth can set you apart in a competitive job market.

Assessing the Learnability of Candidates

Hiring managers are responsible for discerning which candidates possess the capacity to adapt, learn new skills swiftly and even reinvent themselves amidst the evolving professional landscape. Investing in individuals with high learnability not only ensures they can quickly acquire new skills but also contributes to a culture of continuous learning within the organization.

Assessing learnability and learning capacity requires a comprehensive evaluation approach. When hiring for learnability, it is crucial to look beyond a candidate’s existing skill set and evaluate their potential for growth and adaptation. This process entails considering several factors, including:

1. Curiosity and Openness to Learning

Individuals who are genuinely curious and eager to learn new things are likely to possess high learnability. Look for candidates who actively seek out new challenges, ask thoughtful questions, and demonstrate a thirst for knowledge.

2. Adaptability and Flexibility

Assess a candidate’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances and embrace new methodologies or technologies. Those who display flexibility in their approach and a willingness to explore alternative solutions showcase higher learnability.

3. Problem-solving and Critical Thinking

Evaluate a candidate’s problem-solving skills and their capacity for analytical thinking. Individuals who can identify patterns, make connections and derive innovative solutions exhibit a strong learning capacity.

4. Resilience and Growth Mindset

Candidates who demonstrate resilience in the face of setbacks and possess a growth mindset view challenges as opportunities for growth. This mindset indicates a high potential for continuous learning and development.

5. Self-Directed Learning

Consider candidates who have taken initiative in self-directed learning experiences, such as pursuing online courses, attending workshops or engaging in projects outside their immediate job responsibilities. This demonstrates their proactivity in acquiring new knowledge and skills.

This quality of learnability is not a standalone trait, rather it is something that requires a skilled hiring manager to gauge, one way of doing so is by glancing at the employee learning journey.

Evidence of Learnability

While many HR professionals and managers typically focus on employment history, I recommend examining a candidate’s learning journey. In assessing potential hires, I explore the non-linear aspects, overlaps and concurrency present in their educational, employment and project experiences. This entails investigating the depth and breadth of skills they have acquired, the time it took to master them, their motivations for learning, and the number of diverse initiatives they have been involved in simultaneously.

By considering a candidate’s learning journey, I aim to identify individuals with a higher level of learnability and learning capacity. These candidates stand out as high-potential employees capable of rapidly acquiring new skills, adapting to changing circumstances, and embracing new behaviors.

When evaluating a candidate’s learning journey and learnability, you can pay attention to the following evidence:

Skills Depth and Breadth

Look for evidence of the candidate’s ability to develop both specialized expertise and a broad range of transferable skills. A well-rounded skill set demonstrates versatility and adaptability.

Mastery Timeframe

Consider how long it took the candidate to achieve mastery in their acquired skills. This provides insights into their learning agility and ability to grasp new concepts efficiently.

Motivation for Learning

Understand why candidates choose to acquire specific skills. Assess their curiosity, ambition and drive to expand their knowledge and capabilities continuously.

Multitasking and Initiative

Evaluate candidates’ involvement in multiple initiatives simultaneously. This demonstrates their capacity to handle complex challenges and effectively manage their time and resources.

By analyzing a candidate’s learning journey, organizations can identify individuals who possess the potential to thrive in rapidly changing environments. These candidates exhibit a growth mindset, a hunger for learning and a willingness to embrace new opportunities and challenges.

Final Thoughts

Hiring for learnability brings attention to the employee learning journey, which is a crucial criterion for successful hiring. By examining a candidate’s non-linear experiences, skills depth and breadth, mastery timeframe, motivation for learning and multitasking abilities, organizations can identify candidates with high learnability and learning capacity. Prioritizing such candidates not only ensures a more agile and adaptable workforce but also cultivates a culture of continuous learning and growth within the organization.

Top Skills in Demand for 2024

As we look towards the future of work in 2024, we asked six experts what they believe will be the most sought-after skill by employers. From nurturing soft skills for future success to preparing for AI proficiency, discover the key skills these leaders are focusing on and how their organizations are preparing to identify and nurture these skills in candidates.

Soft Skills 

I think the one skill that will be most sought-after by employers in 2024 will be soft skills. As the workforce welcomes the younger generations, there are basic people skills that are lacking and need to be taught. Anyone, regardless of education or technical ability, will need to know these skills in order to be successful. To nurture this skill, we will focus on leadership skills, customer service expectations and explicitly teach our crew how we expect our guests to be treated.

MJ Cimato
Training and Development Manager

Adaptability and Resilience

In 2024, one of the most sought-after skills by employers is adaptability and resilience. The rapidly changing global landscape, technological advancements, and unexpected events like the Covid-19 pandemic have shown the importance of adaptability and resilience in the workplace.

Employers value individuals who can quickly adjust to new circumstances, learn new skills and bounce back from setbacks. Employers will focus more on soft skills and real-world challenges as they equip candidates to excel in a constantly changing job market, ensuring they meet the expectations of future employers.

Brandon DiCroce
Senior Executive Consultant – Head of FinTech Engineering Search, EC1 Partners

Productivity Amid Uncertainty

One skill employers will probably seek in 2024 is the ability to stay productive in times of uncertainty. With climate change, wars and health crises, maintaining productivity can become difficult, especially when you’re physically in a difficult environment. As an accountability-partner service, our job is to make sure people are able to achieve what they want to in the face of such external pressures.

Manasvini Krishna
Founder, Boss as a Service

Collaboration Skills

With the increasing automation of creative and business processes, effective cross-channel communication will become a coveted skill for most employers. Being able to communicate effectively with a mix of internal and external stakeholders, using a growing number of digital and in-person communications channels, remains a valuable skill that can enable teamwork, innovation and business success.

At Connect Vending, we continue to focus on a variety of soft skills, such as leadership development and communication training, for every single person in the organization, regardless of their role or function. Besides helping people enhance their skills, investing in these abilities helps us deliver the highest-quality customer service to our clients and prospective customers—something which we pride ourselves on.

Sam Roberts
Digital Marketing Manager, Connect Vending

Excellent Communication

I think one sought-after skill will be to be an excellent communicator. In today’s day and age, it’s easy to hide behind a screen. Those who I’ve seen become successful are excellent communicators and excellent listeners. Our organization prepares by offering excellent communication training specific to the medical device industry.

John Mooney
President, IML

AI Proficiency

As we navigate the digital frontier, one skill stands out as a beacon of future potential: proficiency with artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. Integrating AI into various sectors is not just a trend; it’s a transformation. By 2024, employers will be actively seeking individuals who can harness the power of AI, leveraging its capabilities to drive innovation, efficiency and growth.

Our organization has embarked on a proactive journey in anticipation of this shift. We’ve initiated a specialized training program, “AI Mastery,” designed to equip our team with the nuances of AI platforms.

Furthermore, we prioritize candidates who demonstrate familiarity and a passion for AI-driven solutions during our recruitment process. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and emphasizing the significance of AI, we’re ensuring that our agency remains at the forefront of technological advancements, ready to meet the demands of tomorrow.

Shane McEvoy
MD, Flycast Media

How L&D Can Close Skills Gaps & Attract Talent

As workplaces continue to evolve, HR professionals confront growing skills gaps, the need to integrate and fully leverage ever-changing technology and shifting employee needs and expectations. While these are significant challenges, they also present unique opportunities to attract and retain talent. This won’t just help companies navigate a persistently tight labor market right now – it will also put them in a strong competitive position in the years to come.

Companies can close skills gaps with robust L&D programs. Employees increasingly recognize that they have to learn new skills to keep pace with a dynamic and increasingly tech-driven global economy. By providing employees with effective and engaging L&D resources, HR teams will help companies become more productive, attract top-tier talent and ensure that their workforces are prepared for whatever the future may bring. A well-trained workforce will also help companies fully leverage technology at a time when revolutionary innovations like AI are fundamentally changing the way businesses operate.

To meet the demands of the modern workplace and economy, HR professionals can’t just offer basic tutorials on whatever tech stack the company happens to be using. They have to develop an organization-wide culture of learning that encourages employees to explore their interests and focus on a broad range of new skills.

Widening Skills Gaps Pose a Serious Risk

Despite the demand for workplace education and the widespread recognition that companies need to prepare employees for a changing economy, there are still vast skills gaps that HR teams must address. According to the World Economic Forum, employers expect 44% of workers’ skills to be disrupted within the next five years. Much of this disruption is being driven by technology – Accenture anticipates that large learning models (LLMs) will affect 40% of all working hours, due to the centrality of text-based communication for many jobs.

These aren’t just problems companies are worried they will face in the future. A 2023 study published by Wiley found that the proportion of C-suite executives who think their organizations have a skills gap rose from 60% in 2021 to 68% this year. This increase was even more pronounced among managers: 55% to 69%. When employees don’t have the skills they need, companies won’t be as productive, innovative or competitive. Misalignments between the skills necessary for certain roles and the skills employees actually possess can also create cultural problems, such as lower morale, feelings of exclusion and turnover.

It has never been more important for companies to invest in their human capital, and HR teams are responsible for directing these investments to the areas where they will provide the highest returns. Effective L&D programs generate significant ROI by improving employees’ performance and making them more likely to stay with the company over the long term.

Competitive Differentiation in a Tight Labor Market

The labor market is still tight – jobless claims remain low and there are currently more openings than employees to fill them. This means it’s all the more important for companies to be capable of attracting and retaining employees, and L&D programs have become indispensable to meeting this strategic necessity. When prospective employees see that a company prioritizes professional development and education, they will envision opportunities for growth and advancement. HR teams have to demonstrate that they’re willing to invest in their people, and this is particularly crucial when the competition for talent is intense.

HR teams that aren’t prioritizing L&D are missing an unprecedented opportunity. According to a PwC survey, almost three-quarters of employees say they’re “ready to learn new skills or re-train to remain employable in the future.” This is especially true for younger workers – 76% of Gen Z employees want “more opportunities to learn or practice new skills,” a proportion that falls to 55% for Millennials and 48% for Gen Xers. Although companies report that reskilling employees is their top strategy for addressing skills gaps, the top two causes of these gaps are still a “lack of employee development initiatives and options” and insufficient “in-house resources for training and development.”

A recent McKinsey report found that skills learned on the job account for an average of 46% of an employee’s lifetime earnings. It’s no wonder that employees are increasingly demanding L&D opportunities, but too many companies are still failing to provide them.

A Permanent Shift in Workplace Expectations

The modern workplace is in the middle of a sweeping transformation. As the global economy becomes more skills-based, companies are hyper-focused on attracting and retaining top talent. HR professionals recognize that L&D is vital to remain competitive (both in terms of employee recruitment/retention and business performance), while employees are eager to improve their career prospects by developing and reinforcing in-demand skills. Meanwhile, employers are emphasizing skills over qualifications and employees are questioning the value of traditional four-year degrees.

A growing body of evidence indicates that L&D offers substantial benefits: a more capable and adaptable workforce, cost savings, and higher levels of employee satisfaction and retention. A recent LinkedIn report found that 79% of L&D professionals agree that it’s “less expensive to reskill a current employee than to hire a new one.” When HR teams invest in L&D, they will also give employees greater flexibility – a priority that 81% of executives say they’re focused on. According to LinkedIn, companies that excel at internal mobility (which is heavily dependent on effective L&D) retain employees for almost twice as long as companies that struggle with it.

L&D can even help companies build more diverse workplaces – a 2022 Deloitte report found that skills-based organizations are 47% more likely to provide an inclusive environment. Considering the vast racial gaps in the number of American adults with college degrees, a focus on skills over qualifications will allow companies to identify more diverse talent and appeal to more candidates – three-quarters of whom say a diverse workforce is an important factor in choosing where to work.

The case for L&D has never been stronger. By helping companies close skills gaps, distinguish themselves from competitors and build more adaptive and innovative workforces, L&D will play an increasingly pivotal role in the years to come.

Navigating Legal Challenges in Recruitment

Recruitment is a critical aspect of any organization’s success, but it is not without its legal challenges. In today’s diverse and inclusive world, employers must not only find the best talent but also ensure that their recruitment processes adhere to the law and promote diversity and inclusion. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) plays a pivotal role in regulating these aspects.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2022 alone, the EEOC resolved over 190,000 employment discrimination claims and recovered more than $513 million in settlements and judgments. These statistics highlight the significance of understanding and complying with EEOC regulations in the recruitment process.

This article provide insight into the legal challenges associated with recruitment, particularly in the context of the EEOC, diversity, and inclusion, and offers guidance on how employers can navigate these challenges effectively.

What Are the Key Legal Considerations in Recruitment?

Recruitment is not just about finding the best talent; it’s also about doing so within the framework of the law. Failing to consider the legal aspects of recruitment can lead to costly litigation, damage to an organization’s reputation, and wasted resources. By being mindful of the key legal considerations outlined below, employers can navigate the recruitment process successfully, while ensuring equal opportunity, fairness and compliance with employment laws.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

Ensuring equal employment opportunity is one of the fundamental legal considerations in recruitment. Under federal laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are prohibited from discriminating against applicants based on their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information. It’s crucial for employers to maintain non-discriminatory practices in all aspects of recruitment, from job postings and interviews to final hiring decisions.

  • Avoiding Discrimination

To maintain EEO, employers should implement policies and procedures that prevent discrimination throughout the hiring process. This includes crafting job descriptions and requirements that are free from bias, conducting interviews that are fair and objective and ensuring that all applicants are treated equally regardless of their protected characteristics. Discrimination in any form can lead to legal troubles, so vigilance in this area is essential.

  • Reasonable Accommodation

Employers must provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities to ensure they can participate fully in the recruitment process. This is mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Reasonable accommodations may include making information accessible, providing extra time for tests or interviews or modifying application procedures. Failure to provide these accommodations can result in legal action.

  • Fair Hiring Practices

Implementing fair hiring practices is crucial in recruitment. This includes transparency in the selection process, adherence to established criteria, and consistency in decision-making. Employers should avoid making hiring decisions based on characteristics that are not relevant to the job, as this can be perceived as discriminatory and lead to legal consequences.

  • Data Privacy and Compliance

Data privacy is another key legal consideration. Employers must handle applicant data with care and in compliance with data protection regulations. Applicants’ personal information, including resumes and contact details, should be kept secure and used solely for recruitment purposes. Any mishandling of this data can result in legal issues and potential fines.

  • Anti-Discrimination Training

Training is a valuable tool for ensuring that all employees involved in the recruitment process understand and adhere to the relevant laws and regulations. Regular anti-discrimination and compliance training for HR personnel and hiring managers can help reduce the risk of legal challenges.

What Are the EEOC Guidelines and How Do They Impact Recruitment?

The EEOC guidelines are crucial in ensuring fair and inclusive recruitment practices in the United States. Employers must be aware of and comply with these guidelines to prevent discrimination, promote diversity, and create a more inclusive and equitable workforce. By following these guidelines, organizations not only comply with the law but also contribute to a more diverse and harmonious workplace, fostering innovation and success.

Understanding the EEOC Guidelines

The EEOC guidelines are designed to prevent discrimination based on various factors, including race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, and age. These guidelines are derived from several federal laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The EEOC’s role is to enforce these laws and ensure that employers adhere to the principles of equal opportunity.

How the EEOC Guidelines Impact Recruitment

  • Job Advertisement

The EEOC guidelines affect the way job postings are written and distributed. Employers must create job ads that do not discriminate against any particular group. This means avoiding language that could be seen as biased or exclusive and promoting job opportunities to a diverse pool of candidates.

  • Application Process

Recruitment processes should be accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations for job applicants who may need assistance during the application process or interviews.

  • Interviews and Selection

During the interview and selection process, employers must base their decisions solely on an applicant’s qualifications, skills, and experience, rather than any protected characteristic. The EEOC guidelines aim to eliminate bias and promote fairness.

  • Diversity and Inclusion

Employers are encouraged to actively promote diversity and inclusion in their workplaces. This means taking proactive steps to attract a diverse pool of candidates, including outreach to underrepresented groups and creating an inclusive work culture.

  • Equal Pay

The EEOC guidelines also address equal pay for equal work. Employers must ensure that their compensation policies are fair and do not discriminate based on gender, race, or any other protected characteristic.

  • Background Checks

Employers should be cautious when conducting background checks on job applicants. The EEOC guidelines emphasize that certain criminal history inquiries can have a disparate impact on protected groups, and employers should carefully consider the relevance of past criminal records to the job.

  • Age Discrimination

The EEOC guidelines also address age discrimination, which is prohibited under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Employers must avoid making employment decisions based on an applicant’s age and provide equal opportunities to individuals of all age groups.

Strategies for Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Recruitment

Promoting diversity and inclusion in recruitment has become not just a legal imperative but also a sound business strategy. A study conducted by McKinsey & Company reveals the compelling impact of diversity on an organization’s performance. The research indicates that companies with diverse executive teams are 21% more likely to outperform their industry peers in terms of profitability. This statistic serves as a clear testament to the transformative potential of adopting diversity and inclusion in the recruitment process.

To foster diversity and inclusion, organizations are adopting a range of strategies that extend beyond mere compliance. One vital approach is the proactive cultivation of diverse candidate pipelines. By actively seeking and engaging candidates from underrepresented groups, organizations not only widen their talent pool but also demonstrate their commitment to diversity. Partnering with diverse professional organizations, participating in job fairs and events targeting minority communities and utilizing online platforms are all effective means of expanding the candidate base.

Unconscious bias training for interviewers is another crucial strategy. This training equips interviewers with the tools to recognize and mitigate their biases, enabling them to conduct fair and objective assessments. It’s an essential step in ensuring that candidates are evaluated on their merits rather than preconceived notions.

Moreover, outreach to underrepresented communities is essential for reaching candidates who might not be part of the typical talent pipeline. Building bridges with these communities, through partnerships with relevant organizations, attending diversity-focused events and leveraging social media platforms, can help establish a meaningful presence and connection.

Inclusive recruitment practices are integral to creating a welcoming environment for all candidates. This can encompass using gender-neutral language in job descriptions, ensuring accessibility for candidates with disabilities and providing clear information on the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Such practices not only attract diverse candidates but also convey a strong message about the organization’s values.

Diverse interview panels are another valuable tool. Including individuals from diverse backgrounds in the interview process communicates the organization’s dedication to creating an inclusive workplace. Candidates are more likely to be drawn to organizations that demonstrate a commitment to diversity at every stage of the recruitment process.

Employee referrals play a pivotal role in recruiting diverse talent. Encouraging existing employees to refer candidates from various backgrounds can be an effective way to tap into personal networks and access a more diverse talent pool. Employee referrals are often highly motivated to ensure the success of their referrals, which can result in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Lastly, measuring and adapting strategies are vital. Implementing metrics to track the success of diversity and inclusion efforts in recruitment ensures accountability. Organizations should regularly review the data and make necessary adjustments to continually enhance their efforts, creating a more inclusive and innovative workforce.

Legal Challenges and Compliance Pitfalls

Staying informed about employment laws and regulations, adopting fair and transparent hiring practices, and providing training to HR professionals and hiring managers are essential steps to mitigate legal risks. Here are some key areas of concern:

  • Background Checks

Background checks can be a valuable tool in assessing job applicants, but they come with legal challenges. Employers must be cautious when conducting background checks to avoid violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and consider the potential disparate impact on certain groups. Also, some states have “ban the box” laws that limit when employers can inquire about an applicant’s criminal history.

  • Immigration Compliance

Recruitment of foreign workers or non-U.S. citizens requires strict adherence to immigration laws. Employers should verify the eligibility of job applicants to work in the United States and complete the Form I-9 process accurately. Failure to comply with immigration regulations can result in penalties and legal consequences.

  • Age Discrimination

Age discrimination is prohibited under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). Employers must not make employment decisions based on an applicant’s age and must provide equal opportunities to individuals of all age groups. Avoiding age-related bias in recruitment and hiring is crucial to prevent legal challenges.

  • Accessibility and Accommodation

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that employers provide reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. Recruitment materials, websites, and application processes should be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Failure to make accommodations can result in ADA-related legal issues.

  • Data Privacy

Data privacy and protection have become significant concerns in recruitment due to the collection and handling of personal information, including resumes and application data. Compliance with data protection regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is critical when dealing with international candidates.

How to Mitigate and Respond to Legal Challenges

Mitigating and responding to legal challenges in recruitment is essential for maintaining a fair and compliant hiring process. Here are two key steps to address these challenges effectively:

  • Creating a Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Policy: A robust anti-discrimination policy is the first line of defense against legal challenges. This policy should outline the organization’s commitment to diversity, define prohibited forms of discrimination and provide clear procedures for addressing complaints. By setting a clear standard for equitable treatment, organizations can help prevent legal issues from arising in the first place.
  • Establishing Clear Procedures for Handling Complaints: Alongside the policy, organizations should establish transparent procedures for handling discrimination complaints. This includes designating responsible individuals or teams, ensuring confidentiality, conducting thorough investigations, and taking appropriate corrective actions. Providing a safe and accessible channel for candidates and employees to report concerns is essential to maintaining a legally compliant and inclusive recruitment process.

Conclusion:

Key takeaways for navigating legal challenges in recruitment: Prioritize proactive compliance with the lawsuits to protect your organization’s reputation and reduce legal risks. Adopting strategic diversity and inclusion, recognizing their value in the competitive landscape. By fostering inclusivity, you not only ensure legal compliance but also cultivate a more innovative and successful workforce.

The Sourcing Toolbelt: An Easy-to-Xray Freelancer Database

Are you tired of navigating complex platforms to find the right freelancer for your project? Look no further! In this article, we explore the intricacies of this freelancer database while providing you with a shortcut to streamline your hiring process.

Freelancer is a site that connects individuals with freelancers for various projects. However, the traditional method of hiring through the platform can be cumbersome, involving multiple steps and payments. Let’s break down a more straightforward approach.

Simplifying the Search

Bypass the Platform: Instead of navigating the platform’s search engine, just search for freelancers directly. For instance, hunt for Java developers with ease using the X-ray method: “site:freelancer.com portfolio Java.” You can build upon that string to source whatever industry you’re looking for. Sometimes, however, the platform doesn’t give you every last bit of information to email them, so that’s where other solutions come to play:

Reverse Image Searching: Right-click on a freelancer’s picture to locate them easily. This method can help verify the authenticity of profiles. For added security, perform a quick Google search on the freelancer’s picture to ensure authenticity and potentially find more contact information.

Social Media: Notice that every user has a unique username? Well, there’s an extremely likely chance that this name is also the name they use all across other platforms…and maybe even LinkedIn.  You can use a chrome extension like Social Friend Finder to see what comes up across all the big platforms. This way, you can get completely off Freelancer.com and message them directly.

Freelancer offers a simplified and efficient method to find and hire freelancers. By bypassing the conventional platform procedures and utilizing smart search techniques, you can streamline your hiring process and connect with the perfect freelancer for your project, or even hire them permanently!

May the source be with you!

Other Dean Da Costa Content:

Dean has a free page of sourcing tools, links, and other recruiting resources that we highly recommend you check out! That page has an overwhelming amount of stuff, so you gotta really love sourcing to appreciate the infinite hours of work Dean has put into it. For all of the Dean Da Costa resources on RecruitingDaily, click here!

The Gig Economy and Its Impact on Staffing Strategies

Over the decades, the workforce has shifted gradually but steadily towards the “gig” mentality, replacing the steady job with project-based work or choosing to switch companies regularly.

While job hopping and working on a project basis are not new concepts by any means, these trends have been greatly exacerbated in recent years. The pandemic and the rise of online technologies have definitely pushed the job market and the modern workforce towards greater flexibility and freedom when it comes to building a dynamic career path.

But what does that mean for modern business? For one, it means greater instability and higher turnover, as well as the costly loss of talent, which can be detrimental to a company’s success.

That’s why today we’re taking a look at some of the ways you can avoid the adverse effects of the gig economy and enhance talent retention.

Here’s what you can do to keep the best of the best at your side.

It Starts with a Clear Vision

There are many reasons why modern professionals in almost every industry in the world choose to change jobs instead of settling down at a secure position in a company. The rise of remote work technologies has opened up a new world of possibilities for modern workers, allowing them to overcome geographic barriers and find employment digitally across the globe.

So, why should they stay with you?

The answer may lie in the way you integrate employees into your company’s vision. Modern employees need to tie their work to something meaningful, so it’s important for business leaders to build a vision that includes them.

Being a part of your brand’s journey will make them feel valued and appreciated.

Retention through Value-Based Compensation

One of the biggest reasons why professionals hop from one employer to the next is because they’re always looking for better perks, benefits and compensation.

If you want to retain talent, you need to have a strong, well-thought-out compensation plan that matches employee expectations. The basis of well-rounded compensation programs for your employees is striking that balance between direct and indirect compensation.

Direct compensation is your salary, hourly rate, commissions and bonuses. Indirect compensation includes the perks and benefits you offer on top of that.

Aside from a highly competitive salary, you need to have an attractive indirect compensation offer. Consider perks like stock options, benefits like unlimited PTO, profit sharing and other non-monetary perks.

No, branded t-shirts and pizza parties don’t count.

Modernizing the HR Department

Modern professionals are very tech-savvy, and they require efficiency in all aspects of their professional lives.

Whether they’re working on-site or remotely, having access to HR services and the HR department at all times is a must. This is why it’s important to modernize and digitize HR processes in order to boost satisfaction among the staff.

Start by giving them access to HR services and processes with an HR ticketing system that can have features like a knowledge base, a self-service center and onboarding tools. The system will also give your employees an efficient way to communicate with HR and resolve issues quickly.

This kind of digitization becomes especially important if you’re predominantly working with remote talent.

Focusing on Employee Well-being

People want and need to feel taken care of by their employers, which is one of the reasons why people change employers until they find the one that values their overall well-being.

If the company doesn’t take care of its employees and their needs, then there is no reason why anyone should stick around until they find a better opportunity. The first step is to measure employee well-being across the organization to determine stressors and energy sources.

These help you understand what is holding people back or even pushing them away, and what helps them draw energy for productivity and happiness at work.

It’s important to remember that your approach to employee well-being will be different from other companies and industries, so running an internal analysis before taking action is always a must.

Employee Development and Roadmapping

In order for people to devote years to one employer, not only do they need to feel appreciated, but they also need you to help them grow professionally.

Strong employee development programs are essential for talent retention over the long term, and it’s something you should emphasize during recruitment. If you’re working with a staffing agency, make sure that this is a key part of your unique value proposition.

During recruitment, the staffing agency software your recruiters use will play a key role in communicating this UVP to candidates through outreach and meaningful communication. It’s also important to personalize your approach for each candidate depending on the position you’re trying to fill.

Make sure to personalize the employee development roadmaps based on industry research, and down the line, based on the feedback you get from new hires. The same goes for your existing team members. If you show them what their future at your company can look like, and that you have a solid plan for them, they’ll have no reason to leave.

Assess the individual’s goals and aspirations, and then make a plan for their future at your company.

Over to You

Nowadays, business leaders may find themselves in an unfavorable position when it comes to retaining talented staff members. The best thing you can do for your company is to hire good people, support them, and watch them take your brand forward over the years.

But if you’re not careful, you could easily lose your best employees to the gig way of life. Be sure to use these strategies to make your employees impossible to poach, and inspire people to stay on for the long haul.

Overcoming Challenges: Finding Diverse Candidates in Competitive Markets

In the competitive world of recruitment, attracting diverse candidates can be a challenge. We asked leaders, including CEOs and founders, to share their successful strategies. From optimizing job descriptions for impact and growth to expanding sourcing channels and engaging with organizations, their insights provide a roadmap for successful diversity recruitment.

Optimize Job Descriptions for Impact and Growth

Start at the beginning with your job description and remember that it is a two-way street.

So often, job descriptions are written with the focus of what the candidate will do for the organization, and they miss the opportunity to communicate with candidates about the larger impact of the role and organization, how the candidate will grow in the role and what kind of support they will receive through professional development and inclusive policies.

Studies show that members of under-represented groups are more likely to apply if they clearly see their potential for impact and growth, especially in a competitive environment – and that has panned out in practical implementations.

Sofie Leon
DEI Consultant Manager, Peoplism

Leverage Diverse Platforms and Inclusive Branding

At DasFlow, we had success in recruiting a diverse team during a competitive period by leveraging localized job boards in diverse communities and promoting our vacancies on platforms aimed at underrepresented groups.

A key success strategy was not just advertising on diverse platforms, but ensuring our own employer brand and job descriptions were appealing and inclusive. This approach was effective in drawing in a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates.

Nicolas Krauss
Founder and CEO, dasFlow Custom Athleisure Apparel

Forge Relationships with Diverse Start-ups

Recruiting diverse candidates can be especially challenging in a competitive job market. One uncommon approach I used was to create relationships with small start-up organizations that lack the necessary resources but have a diverse pool of potential employers.

By providing assistance and guidance, such as resume critiques and interviewing techniques, I could identify promising candidates from these unique sources. This helped me meet my hiring goals while promoting diversity in the workplace.

Michael Alexis
CEO, Virtual Team Building

Implement Blind Recruitment and Diversify Advertising

Recruiting diverse candidates became one of our top priorities. Our most effective strategy was implementing blind recruitment. By anonymizing resumes and applications, removing identifiers like names, genders and educational institutions, we leveled the playing field. This reduced unconscious bias and allowed us to focus solely on skills and experiences.

Additionally, we diversified our job advertising platforms, reaching out to niche job boards catering to various communities and groups. The result? Not only did our candidate pool become significantly more diverse, but the quality of our hires also improved, reflecting a broader range of perspectives and experiences that enriched our team dynamics and problem-solving capabilities.

Alex Stasiak
CEO and Founder, Startup House

Employ Proactive Outreach and Engagement

I successfully recruited diverse candidates through strategic and well-researched methods. Rather than traditional approaches, I employed proactive outreach and engagement strategies to attract top talent. This involved identifying individuals with unique skills and experiences and reaching out to them directly.

The key was conducting thorough research to ensure a tailored and genuine connection. This approach not only expanded the pool of candidates but also contributed to a more diverse and skilled team.

Kimberley Tyler-Smith
VP of Strategy and Growth, Resume Worded

Expand Sourcing Channels and Engage with Organizations

When faced with the challenge of recruiting diverse candidates, we focus on three key strategies.

One, we expanded our sourcing channels beyond traditional job boards, tapping into niche online communities and industry-specific forums to reach a wider audience. Two, we revised job descriptions and requirements to be more inclusive, emphasizing skills and potential over specific experience.

Last, we actively engaged with diverse professional organizations, attending their events and fostering partnerships to gain access to a broader talent pool. These strategies not only led to a more diverse applicant pool but also helped us attract top-tier talent, enriching our team with unique perspectives and experiences.

Mark Damsgaard
Founder and Head of Client Advisory, Global Residence Index

An Urgent Request: Add a Human Element to your AI Recruiting

There’s no argument that using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for recruiting has increased the efficiency of the hiring process. For any company dealing with a high volume of resumes, it can dramatically lower costs. In fact, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, four out of five companies now use automation to make employment decisions.

Here’s where the wheels fall off the cart. Without proper human oversight, there is a pricey and unintended impact of using AI, too: excellent candidates being dropped from consideration because of AI bias.

Some AI tools and models currently being used by recruiters and hiring managers disadvantage women, non-white men, and those with non-traditional career paths or gaps in their experience. To anyone seeking diversity and a more innovative workforce, this spells bad news.

Can we reap the benefits of AI and avoid bias? Of course, we can. I’m going to explain how. But first, I’m issuing an urgent request to all those in hiring roles: Make sure you have a human element involved in the decision-making of your AI recruiting process.

The Bias Problem in AI

The problem with AI is that it is built on historical data. That data can be flawed, skewed or inaccurate, so the model perpetuates those flaws, skews or inaccuracies.

Let’s say you analyze everyone at your company who succeeded at a specific role and feed that profile into AI to help filter resumes. Any hiring bias your company had in the past now continues.

There’s a great story in the book Range about West Point and their cadet scoring method. For years, the school combined standardized test scores, high school rank, physical fitness tests and demonstrated leadership to rank applicants. They didn’t consider that the school also had a steady dropout rate among students. By using the same method and data to select high-ranking cadets, they unwittingly drove the dropout rate higher.

Without human input, an AI tool could use a profile that is too narrowly focused to screen applicants. That means you might miss out on some great candidates simply because they didn’t go to the same college or have the same job title as your top employees.

If you’re using an AI tool built by someone else, you may have no idea what data was used or how it arrived at certain conclusions. Imagine the issues of an applicant tracking system that prioritizes the candidates who respond to an email first or an algorithm that analyzes candidates’ facial expressions, body language and responses during interviews only to disqualify candidates who wear glasses. Ask your vendor to share the steps they’ve taken to ensure their AI is continuously analyzed for bias.

Combating Bias With Human Oversight

Every hiring process deserves a gut check to ensure that candidates are being selected from a pool with diverse histories, diverse people or diverse skills.

I encourage companies to include the hiring manager in a discussion about the soft and hard skills of each job so that the recruiter can better identify a variety of work experiences that could exhibit those skills. The hiring manager also needs to do a consistent audit of the submissions to ensure that there’s variety.

One of the reasons I started my technology-driven recruitment platform was that in past roles, I felt like I was seeing the same resume over and over and over again. All the resumes blend together, too focused on one kind of candidate. If that’s happening to you, there’s a problem with your AI profile or persona.

The right mix of AI plus human interaction provides an agile method of recruiting. This method uses AI to speed up processes so more frequent feedback from a person or group can make each iteration better than the last. The human element can be used to adjust job descriptions or screening criteria.

Alternatively, hiring managers can create knockout descriptions for AI, eliminating candidates who don’t meet the most important criteria but include a broad variety of backgrounds or experience. Imagine the variety of applicants you might see if your only criteria were “we will only hire someone with a CPA,” or “we will only hire someone with experience in public relations.”

A Different Approach To AI Bias

I mentioned earlier that even the best AI tools reject well-qualified candidates. Since hiring managers never see those resumes, they don’t know what they are missing.

There’s an emerging solution for this issue that combats any possible bias. It presents candidates as a whole person, not just a sum of their past work experience. It’s a new type of profile that allows users to select their top skills and subskills, indicating areas of strength and revealing personal interests and passions. This approach also eliminates certain language cues to present a bias-free picture of the candidate. In my company, we use this type of profile to help working mothers returning to work after a gap in employment or for those that have had a non-traditional career show up in AI-power searches.

While biased AI puts companies at risk, there are some legitimately good uses for AI technology in recruiting. We should think of AI as a way to automate the job tasks that fall to the least-trained people on our staff. AI for chatbots and virtual assistants improves the candidate experience by scheduling interviews, sending follow-ups and answering common questions. That, in turn, frees up recruiters to review resumes, check social media profiles or conduct interviews—putting the human element back into an efficient hiring process.

Passive Pursuit: Retargeting Strategies to Engage Candidates Who Aren’t Actively Seeking Jobs

In the ever-evolving landscape of recruitment, finding the perfect candidate for a job can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Passive candidates represent a valuable yet challenging pool of talent. They often possess unique skills and experiences that can greatly benefit your organization, but they aren’t actively applying for new roles. The good news is though, there are several retargeting strategies you can use to get your job openings in front of passive candidates and convince them to apply.

In this article, we’ll explore the world of passive candidates, the benefits of retargeting and effective strategies to engage them.

Defining Passive Candidates

Let us first clarify what we mean by “passive candidates.” Passive candidates are employed professionals who are not actively looking for a new job. They represent 70% of the global workforce according to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report, and while they may be open to new opportunities, they are not spending time submitting applications or networking for job leads.

The challenge for recruiters here is finding ways to get on the radar of passive candidates, capture their attention, and motivate them to pursue a new job opportunity. This requires outbound recruiting techniques versus waiting for them to apply on their own.

Why Should You Retarget Passive Candidates?

Focusing recruiting efforts on passive candidates can benefit your company in many ways:

  • Access a hidden talent pool: Passive candidates aren’t actively looking for jobs, so including them in your recruiting efforts widens your pool of prospects and effectively gives you an advantage over your competitors.
  • Higher quality hires: Passive candidates are often some of the top performers in their current roles. Since they aren’t urgently looking to leave, they need to be convinced that a new opportunity is better than their current option.
  • Reduced Time-to-Hire: Retargeting allows you to reach candidates who have already shown interest by visiting your site or interacting with your content. These people are more likely to respond than completely cold prospects, which means faster recruitment.
  • Lower cost than paid search: While still an investment, retargeting passive candidates is typically more affordable than paying to advertise open roles to a broader audience who may or may not have heard about your company.
  • Remind candidates of your openings: People often research jobs casually without applying right away. Retargeting serves as a reminder and keeps your openings top of mind with engaged candidates.
  • Keep your brand visible: Consistent retargeting keeps your employer brand and job opportunities in front of prospects. Even if they aren’t considering a job switch now, you’ll stay on top of their minds when they are ready for a career move.

Retargeting Strategies for Passive Candidates

Here are some creative ways to get your open positions in front of passive candidates across the web and convert them:

1. Email Retargeting

Always start with the low-hanging fruit. Your marketing automation/CRM platform most likely allows the creation of email drip campaigns that retarget cold leads. If someone clicked a job posting in an email but did not complete the application, follow up with a series of reminder emails. Each message can include links back to the job description or application page to give them an easy way to convert.

2. Social Retargeting

Social platforms offer options for retargeting ads to engage people who have previously shown interest in your company. For example, you can create LinkedIn ads that target people who follow your company page, visited your careers page, or engaged with previous content. These individuals can be served job ads across LinkedIn when they are not actively searching for jobs. You can take a similar approach with Facebook and Twitter by serving ads to people who engage with your social pages.

3. Site Retargeting

If people have visited relevant parts of your website, like your careers page, About Us page, or a specific job description, you can retarget them with display ads when they visit other websites and apps. For example, serve them an ad with the job title they previously viewed or a link back to the careers page to re-engage them. This targets previous visitors who showed initial interest but did not apply.

4. Content Retargeting

You can use display ads to target people who read one of your blog posts or downloaded a whitepaper on an industry topic. Use website traffic and content download data to build audience lists for retargeting. You’ll definitely want to stick to relevant content though, so limit these ads to content pages that align with the types of positions you are trying to fill and the skills you are looking for.

5. Event Retargeting

Industry conferences, trade shows, and other live events are great opportunities to make connections with potential hires, including passive candidates open to new roles. You can create custom ad audiences by uploading your obtained registration lists, badge scans or lead lists to platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, and display targeted ads about open positions to these groups as they browse other sites.

6. CRM Retargeting

The database of your Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) system likely includes contacts who are not current prospects or leads but represent potential talent targets. You can create ads and custom audiences from CRM records, like past employees or people who inquired about jobs, then serve them job ads through your LinkedIn, Facebook or Google campaigns.

7. Multichannel Nurturing

The most effective approach combines multiple retargeting methods listed above over time. Continue nurturing cold leads through email campaigns, social ads, site retargeting and more. The goal is to stay top of mind and eventually convert passive prospects into applicants for your open roles.

Following Up with Engaged Leads

When passive candidates do show interest by clicking on job ads or content offers, you need to have a process in place to follow up while their interest is warm. Here are some ways to engage them:

  • Send an email, LinkedIn message or InMail within a day to connect and provide more details on the opportunity. Ask targeted questions to gauge their interest and fit.
  • Equip recruiters to call and explain why the role may be a good match and worth a more serious look based on their profiles.
  • Use lead scoring rules to route promising leads for immediate follow-up calls and start screening.
  • Segment leads who seem very interested versus just mildly curious and customize outreach appropriately.
  • Provide easy links for passive prospects to share resumes and begin a conversation.

Tracking Results and Optimization

It is important to continually assess the effectiveness of your various retargeting campaigns and fine-tune messaging and targeting. Here are some key metrics to analyze:

  • Click-through rates on job ads
  • Conversions from retargeting ads (form fills, resumes submitted, etc.)
  • Website traffic referred from retargeting ads
  • Quality of inbound leads driven by retargeting
  • Cost per lead or applicant from retargeting channels
  • Hires attributed to retargeting sources

Based on results, you’ll be able to identify the audience segments, platforms, and campaigns delivering the highest ROI. Over time, you can increase investment in the best-performing approaches and limit spend on those producing fewer viable leads.

Final Thoughts

Recruiting passive candidates requires a mixed approach along with some creativity and persistence. When executed well, the strategies discussed above can help you attract broader and higher-quality talent pools to your company, and the results only get better the more you approach retargeting systematically, track results rigorously and focus your budget on the strategies that have delivered you the best applicants.