RecruitingLive with Mikey McPhail

I’ve never been much of a math person. I think it had to do with the fact that I moved so often as a kid. Switching schools and curriculums thirteen times over twelve years means, inevitably, you’re going to cover some things twice and others – not at all. Now, that doesn’t matter as much with things like reading or writing. Letters are pretty consistent across the board. Even the “classic” books; I read a lot of them on my own at the insistence of my mother.

However, math? Not so much. There are specific concepts you have to learn – decimals, division and fractions, for example – that are all fundamental building blocks for the more challenging courses you’re required to take when you hit high school and you’re trying to find the perimeter of the field to answer an SAT question. As a consequence of missing out on those building blocks, I rode the struggle bus through geometry and calculus. I had to stay after class for tutoring and the SAT? It’s safe to assume I had to heavily rely on my reading comprehension and grammar to get into a decent college. Luckily, I knew how to write so my essays closed the deal at the schools of my choice.

Once I got to college, I still struggled. In fact, I changed my major simply because I didn’t think I could pass a 200 level calculus class required to join the marketing major. I still went into marketing because in reality, you don’t need calculus to run a Facebook ad.

Digits, Dollars and Data Decisions

Fast forward a few years and I end up at Care.com working with some of the most brilliant people I’d ever worked with. People who loved numbers and took an entirely different approach to data. The top line numbers from a Facebook report weren’t enough. There were algorithms and analysis to make data driven decisions. Plugging in numbers to an excel sheet just didn’t answer the analytical questions they were asking.

Initially, I struggled. I was surrounded by people who loved numbers and the math I had always tried to avoid. My solution? I started asking questions and forced myself to participate in conversations. I researched other models and methods, testing and tactics. I forced myself to evolve in my marketing role into their world.

I realize now how lucky I was to be surrounded by smart people who could answer those questions. People who could coach me in the right direction. It also makes me realize that HR and recruiting departments aren’t typically built of data-oriented people like the ones I worked with at Care.com, yet we have high-reaching aspirations on analysis and evaluation. There’s a lot of talk on big data but the talent teams to support those aspirations in our industry are limiting. We’re leaning on tech companies to determine our algorithm instead of building our own custom solutions that produce the data to indicate where we need change.

Recruiting Metrics: Demystifying What Matters

It’s hard to find those people – the ones who can take all that big data to produce the qualitative assessment and have the wealth of experience with data to understand how the numbers indicate change. That’s why I invited Mikey McPhail to this week’s RecruitingLive

Mikey is a complete data nerd, and I say that with the utmost respect. He’s not scared to tell a huge group of people that their entire approach to analytics is wrong, and he has the data and logic to back it up. He’ll be live to answer your questions on what data really matters and debunk the myths around time to fill and cost per hire.

If you want to talk to someone who can coach you on what metrics you should be measuring and why, you’ll want to attend this episode of RecruitingLive.

Guest

Katrina Kibben|Mikey McPhail

Managing Editor|Director of Business Intelligence RecruitingDaily|ManpowerGroup

Managing Editor @RecruitingBlogs + @RecruitingDaily. I will make you swear, share or care.|Numbers guy who knows that while answers can be found in all types of data, questions can found in all aspects of life. Dir #BusinessIntelligence @ManpowerGroup

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The RecruitingDaily Podcast

By Katrina Kibben

RecruitingDaily contributing writer and editor.  I am a storyteller. A tactical problem solver. A curious mind. A data nerd. With that unique filter, I work to craft messages that strategically improve the perceptions and experiences of our clients, the people they employ and the candidates they wish to attract. I methodically review and collect research and insights to offer solution-based recommendations that meet the one-off, and not so one-off, recruiting and employer branding problems of today's global employers.