Put the Human Back in Human Resources
By Cecilia Sepp, CAE, CNAP, VEIP
Hiring a new team member is an important decision. There is a certain amount of pressure to make the right choice and find a person who will fit in your team, excel and be happy at their work, and advance the mission of the organization.
We’ve all been there. Sorting resumes. Scheduling calls. Checking references. Wondering if this person is “the one.” It can be nerve wracking. Which is why the Siren Song of using technology to screen candidates is so strong and appealing. The problem with the Siren Song is that all who listened to it and followed it ended up with their ships dashed on the rocks.
Except for Odysseus. He was clever enough to fill his ears with wax so he would not be led astray.
Okay, you are wondering HUH?? What does this have to do with hiring processes? It’s an apt comparison. You get overwhelmed with the process of screening and choosing, so why not outsource it to an online system? Afterall, it is the 21st Century. Shouldn’t an organization take the human out of the human resources process? It would be SO MUCH EASIER to hand it off to an online system . . .
Just keep in mind that futurists and scientists also promised us Flying Cars by this point. Still not happening. And can you imagine what sort of traffic accidents we might have with flying cars, or what traffic jams might look like? What sort of license would you need to drive one of those anyway? When you think through what life might be like with this technology, you realize it might not necessarily be a good thing.
Which brings us back to the point at hand. Using technology to choose people to join your organization’s team is not necessarily a good thing.
I’ve been talking to job seekers and reading articles about the use of technology, and the follow up and the processes don’t seem to be improving.
Organizations force potential employees’ resumes into online forms.
Organizations are using online robots to “video chat” first round interviews.
Organizations are setting up 10 or more interviews – and then not letting the candidates know their decision.
Does this seem very human to you? Does this seem like the best way to find someone to help advance your organization? Does this wall of technology only let in the best of the best?
In my opinion, this trend of using technology in the hiring process, and the supposed current “best practices” in the follow up steps, are taking us in the wrong direction.
Yes, it is time consuming to review resumes and schedule interviews. But if you are the person who will be working with the candidate, do you want to rely on a computer to tell you about their personality? Can a computer identify wit or an incisive intellect? Can a computerized personality assessment really tell you what a person is like? I say NO, they can’t.
If you have ever readDune, by Frank Herbert, there is a reason there was a Butlerian Jihad. Humans became over reliant on technology, and it (technology) eventually turned on them. In this novel, the humans realized there is a unique value and worth in humans’ skills and abilities.
When it comes to human resources, remember that you are dealing with people. I encourage us all to put the human back in human resources by improving our communication with candidates and creating processes that let us get to know each other.
Acknowledge resume or application submissions – someone took time to respond to your job posting. Take a few minutes to say, “thanks, we got it.”
Close the loop with job candidates – let them know if they are moving forward or not.
Be clear about timelines – do you intend to hire in a month, 3 months, a year?
Respect the time of the candidates – no, you don’t need to bring them back for round after round of interviews. Instead, why not schedule a day or two with them to really show them your organization and get a feel for them?
