Distracted from my workload for a moment by this item in GovExec about the effectiveness of automated hiring systems. You can’t function in Workplace 2.0 without the automated hiring tools like Monster. Without careful screening of self-assessments against applicant credentials, however, all you get is more slop served faster. If you want to get the best out of your agency’s hiring tools, here are a few thoughts:
- Take the time (as a manager) to ensure that the HR specialist working your hiring action really knows what you’re looking for and where it fits into the position description for the job you’re trying to fill. Invite him or her to a program event where s/he can see your program activity in action and get a little joy out of life. When you put in that effort, HR specialists put more effort into helping you develop screen-out factors and other elements that will keep unqualified applicants off your certs.
- Reading is fundamental. Agencies must empower their HR specialists to disqualify candidates whose check-box responses to self-assessment questions are clearly contradicted by their resumes and narrative answers.
Thus spake Bureaucrates.
I tell my reviewers not to rely on the automated score provided by our HRIS system, so many people put key words in their resume, and if you really read their resume (totally agree with your statement Kate that reading is fundamental!), they have little or no experience in what the position requires.