Professional Documents
Culture Documents
To help better separate the wheat from the chaff, one should try adding another layer between resume-submission and the one-on-one interview. One option is inviting all eligible applicants to an open group event, such as an Open House. In article for the Wall Street Journal, consulting startup I Love Rewards Inc. describes how, of the 1,200 applicants who were invited, only 400 actually came. The CEO tells WSJ, ""That's self-selection... It's so easy to apply for anything but 800 didn't take the first step. That lowered the screening process." The Open House strategy also enables hr managers to see how people interact in groups.
The Director of Talent Acquisition at Quicken Loans tells the New York Timeshow his company (which is regularly listed in Fortune's "100 best places to work") hires fast while maintaining its corporate culture standards: by looking for great people in unexpected places. For example, the company once conducted a "blitz" of local retail stores and restaurants, sending employees out to interact with workers and offer interviews to those who really stood out. "Too many companies focus on industry experience when they recruit... We can teach people about finance. We can't teach passion, urgency and a willingness to go the extra mile," Quicken tells the NYT.
6. GAMIFICATION
Mitres Job of Honor
Mitre Corp., an engineering and technology services corporation, noticed its workforce was growing older and wanted to reach out to a younger talent pool. After determining that 90% of its target audience used video games as a top form of socializing, the company created a game to aid in recruitment efforts. In Job of Honor, players take a self-guided virtual tour of the companys workplace and spend a day in the life of a Mitre project manager, completing tasks that are typically assigned to the position. In addition to effectively recruiting talent, Job of Honor increased the companys reputation among young talent. Within the first three months of the games release, the Mitre site received more than 5,200 hits and accumulated over 600 registered players in 48 U.S. states and 25 countries worldwide.
7. GO UNDERCOVER
Volkswagens hidden job ad When Volkswagen needed talented new mechanics, the European car company sent undercover employees to drop off damaged cars at repair shops across Germany. On the undercarriage of each car was a job ad. The unique placement of the job ads branded Volkswagen as an innovative company and brought in a number of new talented mechanics. And recruiters interacted with each mechanic when they dropped off a car, giving them a feel for whether the worker would fit its company culture.
The unconventional sourcing strategy is effective for several reasons. First, the billboard generated buzz on mathematics and engineering blogs and forums even before anyone knew the billboard was the work of search engine superstar Google. In addition to engaging the right audience, the puzzle worked as an effective filter for the applicant pool. Only those who could figure out the billboard riddle, were curious enough to visit the website, and continued on to correctly solve another puzzle were invited to apply. This left Google with a group of candidates that clearly enjoyed and excelled at solving complex puzzles.
9.CONTESTS
Department of Defences robotics race In 2003, the U.S. Department of Defence wanted to upgrade the ground vehicles used in the battlefield. At the time, unmanned vehicles were operated by remote control, and the Department of Defence dreamed of self-guided vehicles that required no human control. To find engineers with the talent and innovation required for the project, the Department of Defence sponsored a Grand Challenge contest. Each participating team created a 100% autonomous robot that could steer itself using computerized mapping systems. On the day of the contest, each teams robot competed in a 250 mile race over difficult terrain. Dozens of companies, universities and computer scientists participated all of whom fit the job description. In addition to creating contacts with qualified participants, the Department of Defence recruiters mingled with spectators, who presumably shared an interest in the specific type of engineering.
10.SOCIALIZE
Hard Rock Cafs Work for Us app
When The Hard Rock Caf faced the challenge of sourcing 120 serverand manager-level positions in four weeks, the company knew it needed an affordable way to rapidly attract applicants. Recruiters felt that many of its consumers were viable candidates, so Hard Rock turned to Facebook to both improve its brand and attract applicants. After creating a Facebook page and Work for Us app from scratch and attracting fans through innovative music-related content and rewards, Hard Rocks Facebook page went from 0 to 1,000 fans in less than 24 hours and up to 6,100 in four days. Hard Rocks viral movement was successful because the company recognized its audience and the type of content that audience typically shared and translated this into the creation of a strong employee brand. The viral campaign resulted in 1,000 interviews and 120 hires with a 95% acceptance rate. While Hard Rock typically spends ($25,000) on recruitment campaigns, this whole campaign only cost ($2,000,), resulting in an ultimate cost per hire of ($16.).