Working Faster and Smarter

Are your pre-screening questions too predictable?

If you utilize scored pre-screening questions within an applicant tracking system, do you make your questions challenging?  Are your questions too predictable?  Do you think your applicant is beyond lying if the questions are worded in such a way that they know the desired response?  Applicants are not beyond stretching the truth if they feel it will help them get that face-to-face interview.  For the most part, the applicant feels that he/she has nothing to lose and they'll respond in whatever fashion necessary to get that "face time" when they plan to sell themselves to the interviewer. 

For example, an employer will often ask a candidate if they have experience in a certain area.  The applicant knows that if they respond with "yes", it will almost always work in their favor. 

EXAMPLE:  Do you have experience with minor household electrical repairs? Y/N

If the question is worded this way, the applicant might feel justified saying "yes" if they've ever changed a light bulb.  That's probably not what what the employer is seeking.  Here's a better way to word that question:

Do you have experience with minor household electrical repairs that required you to shut off the electricity to a specific circuit at the fuse box/circuit breaker panel?  Y/N

This question gets a bit more specific and the applicant may still lie.  However, I guarantee you'll have a higher percentage of applicants that respond with a "no" when the question is worded this way instead of the first way. 

The best way to get the truth out of someone is to ask a question where the applicant has no idea as to what is the desired response. 

EXAMPLE:  Do you consider yourself more of a "detail-oriented" person or a person who always keeps the "big picture" in mind?  (Multiple Choice)

In this example, being both detail-oriented and keeping the big picture in focus could be considered positive attributes.  However, if you force the applicant to make a decision between the two options, you are most likely going to get the truth because the applicant will typically tell the truth when they are put in a position where they don't know what the employer is seeking.   (When all else fails, tell the truth.)

Another example of this might be, "Do you prefer to come in early to work or would you rather work late, if overtime is mandated?"  Showing up early for work is not seen as a bad thing, but if you need someone who is flexible and is not a "clock watcher" who will stay a couple of extra hours to finish up the day's orders when the situation call for it, then you may want to assign more points if they state that they'd rather work late.

The Galileo Applicant Tracking System has a screening scores report to show the effectiveness of the screening scores that are asked.  Ideally, the report displays graphically with something of a "bell-curve" representation with a few applicants scoring very low, a few scoring very high, but the vast majority of applicants are somewhere in the middle.  If all of your applicants score 95 or greater, then your pre-screening questions are way too predictable.  If all of your applicants score 40 or lower, then maybe your expectations regarding the talent that is available in your job market is too high.  In order for any applicant tracking system to be effective for the employer, the pre-screening questions must be carefully crafted. 

 To learn more go to Galileo website

 

The new Dashboard in the Galileo Applicant Tracking System

HR ProFile is happy to announce that we've recently added a full-feature dashboard enhancement within the Galileo Applicant Tracking System (ATS). The new dashboard offers administrators and recruiters, valuable information about Employer-user and applicant activity within the Galileo ATS. Additionally, it offers valuable information concerning the recruiters whose job postings are getting the most interest by applicants, and a detailed sourcing report.

 

Of course, administrators with full access to all areas of the system will see more on their display than recruiters, (those with limited hiring responsibilities within your organization). A recruiter will view a dashboard only containing their specific job postings and activities.

 

The dashboard will appear immediately after you log in to Galileo. However, if you wish to view the Dashboard screen after your initial log on, it can be accessed through a new tab that we've created called "Tools". The Tools tab will contain access to the Dashboard, as well as a link to our Communications Log, which was previously located on the Reports tab. The Communications Log allows Employer-users to document, non e-mail communications between the Employer and applicants. It also documents when an EEOC questionnaire is sent to the applicant.

 

The dashboard reports all activity graphically in the form of different sized squares. This is a more manageable display than a bar graph, which can require a lot of room on the screen. The proportion (size) of each square is relative to the number of activities in that section of the dashboard.

 

In all cases, the dashboard reports a summary of activity within the Galileo ATS over the past 4 weeks. Additionally, the logged in user can choose to view the dashboard with regards to completed apps only, or both complete and incomplete applications. At the top, the user that logged on will be able to view job titles (postings) they deem to be of highest priority. This list is called their "Hot" list. They will also be able to view the number of applications received each week for this list, going back 4 weeks. The dashboard offers a more detailed breakdown of the top 5 job postings (the most popular job postings amongst applicants) that have been assigned to the recruiter and if no specific job has been assigned to the individual who logged on, it simply shows the Top 5 (most popular) job postings in the entire company.  Sometimes some of the same job postings will appear on the Hot List and the "Top 5 Jobs" list, if the logged in user considers one of the "Top 5 Jobs" a priority position to fill. However, these could be completely separate lists if the recruiter doesn't consider any of the "Top 5 Jobs" to be a high priority.  

The Galileo ATS lists all activity of the logged-in user over the past 4 weeks under a heading entitled "My Activity". It lists any logged actions performed (sent an e-mail template, moved to a new workflow folder, etc.) during the past month. It only lists the actions performed for the top 5 jobs. The system identifies and separates "unique" actions from "compound" actions. A unique action is when one task was accomplished, even if it involved more than one applicant. For example, if you send the same e-mail template to four different people all at once, it is considered one unique action. However, if you send someone an e-mail template AND move them to a new workflow folder all at once, it is considered a compound action.

 

One new graphical display that should really be appreciated by our customers is the Top 5 Applicant Sources. This shows a breakdown of the number of applications received from each source (paid job board, job aggregator site, company website, etc.) during the past 4 weeks.  

 

If you are an administrator (having full access rights to all areas of the Galileo-ATS within your company) you'll see even more information. The administrator section of the dashboard shows the recruiter whose job postings are getting the most attention by applicants. It also shows the top 5 recruiters, based upon the amount of activity each has generated each week. Finally it shows the amount of recruiter activity for the top 5 jobs (based upon popularity by the job applicants).

 

Another recent enhancement, totally unrelated to the new dashboard feature is a tool whereby job applicants can be reminded of their password through an e-mail account, should they forget.

 

We are always looking for ways to improve our Galileo ATS and we have many other enhancements in the planning stages. Our promise to you is that we will continually improve the Galileo Applicant Tracking System, but we will never lose focus of our promise to provide you with a solution that is not cumbersome or overwhelming.

To learn more, go to Galileo website

 

Todd Shafer

Galileo ATS Product Manager

tshafer@hrprofile.com

www.galileo-ats.com

Why train someone who is going to leave you for someone else?

Companies across the nation spend billions of dollars training and recruiting top talent, only to have those individuals leave within a couple of years.  Now that may be perfectly alright if you are looking for a short-term contracted employee, but if you are seeking a long-term employee who will grow with your company, an unexpected resignation can be devestating to your company morale and your bottom line.  Even in this economy, some employees have the education, experience, or talent to be "in-demand" and they are constantly looking to see if the grass is greener on the other side.  Your company may or may not get its "money's worth" from that employee before the next great opportunity reveals itself. 

However, past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior and that is why we believe you should be able to easily identify these "job-hoppers" early in the applicant sorting process.  Of course, everyone has a different idea of how to define a "job-hopper".  For some employers, that's people who stick with the job for less than 6 months; others feel an employee who sticks with the job for less than 2 years is a job-hopper; still others may think this is someone who moves on every 4 to 5 years. 

The Galileo Applicant Tracking System will soon have a feature that will allow hiring managers and recruiters to define job-hoppers on their terms and the system will flag these individuals based on those parameters.  The system will alert the employer if the applicant has worked the last three jobs for less than the defined amount of time, or it can be set to alert the employer if the applicant has worked any past three jobs for less than the defined amount of time.  We believe the Employer-user should have flexibility to define what they feel is a "job-hopper".  The system makes no presumptions about the prospective employee's work ethic or productivity; it simply identifies the applicant as someone who has resigned from at least three jobs within the defined parameters set by the employer.  The system will not count lay-offs or terminations as short-term employments that would count towards a "job-hopper" status, nor will it count short-term, contracted jobs. 

We believe an applicant tracking system should be made to benefit the employer as much as possible.  A big portion of any applicant tracking system's function is to sort out the applicant data and identify non-qualifyied applicants as well as strong contenders.  If identifying candidates with a consistent record of short-term employments and resignations can help a company protect itself from unnecessary expenses, we will develop our applicant tracking system so it will do just that. 

To learn more about this soon-to-be feature and other exciting, existing time-saving benefits within the Galileo Applicant Tracking System, please visit our website at www.Galileo-ATS.com

90 Days, No Charge, No Obligation, No Risk

For a limited time, the Galileo Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is being offered free for 90 days to those companies that qualify.  This is an excellent opportunity for small and mid-size companies who have been toying with the idea of implementing an ATS, to try one in a live environment.  This means that your company logo banner will appear at the top of the page when applicants enter the system, so the application experience will appear seamless for the candidates you are recruiting. 

We designed the Galileo ATS with the growing business in mind.  We understand that recruiters and hiring managers simply want a helpful, intuitive, comprehensive ATS solution that will automatically eliminate non-qualified applicants and quickly identify the top, qualified applicants who respond to job postings.  You can post jobs to a popular job board, or you can simply post the job from your company website 'Employment Opportunities' page.  The candidate will be subtley re-directed to your company's career portal page on Galileo.  You have the option of creating your own hiring workflow within the system, your own e-mail templates, your own weighted pre-screening questions and qualifier questions, etc.  You can run a number of helpful reports within the system, control who has access to specific areas of the system, look for specific keywords in resumes, and identify applicants who might be a better fit for other jobs in your company.  The Galileo Applicant Tracking System is designed to be as simple or intricate as you need it to be, and if you decide to become a paying client after 90 days, we won't shy away from customization requests.  In fact, we helped one of our clients save nearly 50 man-hours each week in their recruiting department!

Do you want to order background checks at the appropriate time within the Galileo Applicant Tracking System?  No problem!  The Galileo ATS allows you to order a specific set of background checks, that you define, with a simple click of your mouse. 

Are you afraid that you will be "on your own" if you opt to take us up on this 90-day offer and you won't get adequate customer support when you need it?  Don't fear.  We will extend the same prompt, professional customer service to those who are trying the Galileo Applicant Tracking System, as those that are current clients.  After all, we want you to become a fan of the Galileo ATS! 

Are you afraid that you'll be billed if you don't call us at the end of the 90 days?  Don't worry about it.  We will proactively call you towards the end of the 90-day trial period and ask if you are interested in continuing with the Galileo system.  We are betting that you will.  However, if you are not, we will return your applicant data to you in a usable electronic format so you can import it into an Excel spreadsheet or another ATS application, if you so choose.

We simply want you to try out the Galileo System so you can learn of its time-saving features and benefits.  You've probably never purchased an automobile without test driving it beforehand; you shouldn't be expected to commit to a software application without an extensive test drive either! However, I never heard of a dealership that allowed you to test drive a car for 90 days.  You have nothing to lose and convenience, security, and time to gain. 

This offer is being extended for a limited time and there is a limit to the number of "free trials" we will permit, simultaneously.  Call me today to get started with your free 90-day Galileo ATS trial.

Todd Shafer

Galileo ATS Product Manager

800-969-4300

Farewell to Paper

Has your company avoided implementing an applicant tracking system due to a perceived technology infrastructure issue, affordability issue, or because the process seems intimidating?  Are you currently buried in paper applications and resumes?  Do you see your budget as a barrier to implementing a product that will better manage your candidate selection process and filtering of job applicants?  Would you like to learn how you can eliminate stacks of unnecessary paper and not break the bank in the process?  If so, this article is for you!

The paper employment application is going the way of the rotary dial telephone and will probably be non-existent in just a few years.  Many employers are realizing the advantages of electronic applicant tracking systems (ATSs) like HR ProFile’s Galileo ATS and the time-saving benefits these tools bring with them.  The Galileo ATS is designed to be easy and convenient for the job seeker as well as the employer; applicants can stop in the middle of an application and finish up a day later if they wish.  Not only is it “hip” to “go green” and promote a paperless hiring process, but it brings many practical and financial benefits to the employer as well.  For one thing, paper applications and resumes are often hard to read, they are sometimes lost or accidently discarded; when that happens, you may have lost an ideal prospective employee forever!  The redundancy measures found in an applicant tracking system keeps this data safe and secure. 

Aside from the obvious monetary savings of paper, there are less photocopying and postage expenses involved with a comprehensive applicant tracking system.  There’s less time involved with qualifying applicants and the entire hiring process would be streamlined.  Many companies realize a return on investment within one year that more than re-coups any licensing fees associated with the ATS. 

One of the lesser-known benefits realized when an employer gets away from paper applications is the decreased possibility that the application and confidential information would be viewed by those in the organization who are not authorized to do so.  In this day and age where privacy is a foremost concern with many companies, you should make “reasonable” efforts to keep this data confidential.  Placing the application and resume in a filing cabinet that doesn’t lock would hardly be considered secure.  What’s even worse is when hiring managers have a stack of applications in open view on the top of their desk.    An applicant tracking system will have a User ID Logon and case sensitive password at the very least that will limit access to private information.  Only those involved with the hiring of that individual should have access to applicant data.  A good ATS solution will have defined levels of access for each user role.  So if you have someone in the company who simply runs reports out of the ATS once a month, but they aren’t required to evaluate applications, those individuals would not be able to see specific applicant data.

A common argument presented when an ATS solution is suggested is that some applicants don’t routinely access a computer, may not own a computer, may not have Internet access, etc.  However, with each passing day, those individuals are few and far between.  For one thing, EVERYONE has access to the Internet through their local library or job bank.  Also, the climate has changed significantly regarding electronic processes in the last 10 years.  Most workers, including those who have worked unskilled jobs all their lives, realize they must have rudimentary computer skills to survive in today’s job market. 

However, the Galileo Applicant Tracking System has provisions for those who truly do not have convenient access to a computer or who may not be experienced enough to use a computer.  The “Quick Register” function in Galileo allows employers to enter necessary applicant data in the system on behalf of the applicants, which is about a one minute process.  The Quick Register function would also be handy if you received a resume in the mail or had one handed to you at a job fair.  This feature even allows the employer to gather EEOC information over the telephone, provided the employer explicitly explain that the applicant is under no obligation to provide that information.  Furthermore, the Galileo Applicant Tracking System allows employers to document communications from the employer to the applicant through its Communication Log.  The employer can document that notices and EEOC surveys were communicated to the applicant by phone, fax, or letter. 

One easy answer to the “I don’t have a computer” dilemma is to provide a computer for the applicants.  This can be accomplished through employment kiosks that can be conveniently located in the business lobby or near a service desk.  Many major retailers have already adopted this solution.  The kiosk allows the employer to capture the applicant information electronically.  There’s no more need to be frustrated by sloppy handwriting or applicants who conveniently omit critical applicant data.  The kiosk solution insists that certain fields on the application are populated because the applicant is actually applying on the ATS where certain fields are required. 

The fact of the matter is that a vast majority of the current generation of job seekers and certainly the next generation of job seekers will have absolutely no problem with applying for a job, on-line.  In fact, many workers are somewhat “put off” by paper applications.  It subtly conveys a message to the worker that the company is slow to adopt technology that might make them more competitive in their marketplace.  A robust, yet easy-to-use ATS solution is an important part of your company’s overall branding image.  It may be the first interaction and impression that an ideal candidate may have with your company.

Larger companies have already realized that applicant tracking systems are here to stay.  I challenge you to find an employer with over 5,000 employees who isn’t using some type of ATS or electronic application sorting tool.  The next group to adopt this technology will be the small and mid-sized businesses.  Some HR managers see the benefits of an applicant tracking system, but they are afraid to suggest any tool that might be perceived as an added expense.  The fact is, a quality applicant tracking system can be licensed for a lot less than you think.  Additionally, you have to factor in the “unseen expenses” in the way of lost efficiencies, and needless interviews and phone calls that a manual application process brings.  If you have a choice of applicants, don’t you want to make the best choice?  Paper applications will not allow you to do that quickly and consistently.  Your company will eventually adopt an applicant tracking system, why not get credit for being the one who implemented it? 

Other ATS vendors are eager to sell you their solution, but what happens if your company grows or needs to make a change in your hiring or job requisition processes?  What are the fees associated with those changes?  Are they even willing to make changes?  If your company changes, we can change with you.  We pride ourselves on offering customization at discounted prices, when it’s needed.  

If you would like to learn more about the Galileo Applicant Tracking System and how it can save you time, keep you compliant, and make your hiring job easier, please call me at 800-969-4300 or 513-388-4300 in the greater Cincinnati area.  Additionally, you can e-mail me at tshafer@hrprofile.com

You Look Mahhhvelous!

 

When you are in a hiring role for an organization, you are either a hero or a zero.  You’ve either found the latest star performer or you’ve hired the latest dud, or worse yet, liability.  What can you do to increase your chances of selecting a top performer??  I’m glad you asked!  You should utilize a forward-thinking applicant tracking system solution like the Galileo Applicant Tracking System that allows you to formulate a series of pre-screening questions, some scored and others not scored, so you quickly narrow your search to a select group of individuals who have the experience, talent, work ethic, and knowledge required for the open position.  This doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll pick a winner, but it does seriously increase your chances of having a couple of winners within your top five applicants.

 

Ultimately, an applicant tracking system can’t hire your next employee for you, but it can streamline the initial sorting process, considerably.  There is no substitute for a recruiter’s/hiring manager’s wisdom, experience, and intuition.  Technology can never replace the “human” aspect of human resources.  We don’t say the brush painted the masterpiece, we say the artist painted the masterpiece.  An ATS is simply a tool in the hands of a “hiring craftsman”.

 

A good applicant tracking system (ATS) should accomplish several tasks for a hiring manager:

1.)    It should save time.

2.)    It should help the user stay compliant.

3.)    It should make the hiring process easier.

4.)    It should streamline communications between hiring managers and applicants.

5.)    It should help to make you a better recruiter and MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD

 

One of the biggest challenges hiring managers face today is the overwhelming number of unqualified applications received.  Some of the popular job boards make it ultra-easy for job seekers to apply for jobs en masse and many times these people are applying for positions where there is no skill or experience match. 

 

A good applicant tracking system will contain “qualifier” questions, which are typically “yes/no”.  If the applicant answers a question in a way that’s not desirable, (they answered “yes” when the Employer wanted “no”) they are immediately disqualified and politely informed by the ATS that they are no longer being considered for the position.  This feature alone can be a huge time-saver for some employers.  It’s also a time-saver for applicants.   

 

Beyond qualifier questions, a good ATS will have an assortment of weighted questions that assigns a score to the applicant based on how they answered each question.  These questions can be “yes/no” or Multiple Choice, with a different point assignment for each possible answer. 

 

A great ATS will also allow for pre-screening questions, which cannot be scored in any practical way.  For example, if you’re hiring for a CFO position, you may ask the applicant to type out their philosophy towards responsible debt management.  The applicant encounters a large text box to supply his/her subjective answer.  It might be nice to see how the applicant responds to this question.  Sometimes these questions give you more insight about an employee than any weighted question possibly could.   

 

Some applicant tracking systems offer questions that can be placed in a second tier of scoring.  These questions might be considered “bonus” questions.  For example, if you are looking to hire a bilingual candidate (English/Spanish), you might ask the candidate if they have ever lived in a Latin American country for a year or more beyond age 12.  Obviously, you don’t have to live in Latin America to know how to speak Spanish.  However, if a candidate did live in Latin America for a while as a teenager or adult, it would demonstrate that they have some understanding of Latin American culture, which may make them more valuable in your organization.  The bonus questions may come in quite handy if you have a large applicant pool for a job where several candidates have similar scores on the first tier of scoring. 

 

Assuming that you have a large applicant pool, you may decide that you only want to interview candidates who scored in the top 5%.  A good ATS solution will enable you to quickly isolate those candidates.  If you have formulated your pre-screening questions effectively, you should have a rough “bell curve” representation of how the applicants scored.  A few applicants will score very low, a few may score very high, and the vast majority will fall in the 35% to 65% range.  The Galileo Applicant Tracking System has a report that allows you to see a graphical representation of the effectiveness of pre-screening questions being asked. 

 

If you’re in recruiting, have you ever been sternly reprimanded in a manner similar to this?  “Why did you schedule me to interview that applicant?  They were clearly not suited for the job.  I just wasted the last 45 minutes when I could have done other tasks!”  You can avoid these confrontations if your applicant tracking system helps you identify the right group of candidates to pursue.  The Galileo Applicant Tracking System scoring is reliable when you have a true “bell curve” representation of the pre-screening question responses from applicants.

 

At HR ProFile, Inc., we are committed to the continued enhancement and evolution of our Galileo Applicant Tracking System so those who use the system will “look good” to upper management.  If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.  If your hiring process isn’t becoming to you, you should be coming to us!  We not only want you to look good to those over you; we want you to look MARVELOUS to all of your co-workers.

 

If you would like to view a demonstration of the Galileo Applicant Tracking System and learn how different categories of pre-screening questions will allow you to accurately weigh a candidate’s suitability for a position, please call me at 800-969-4300 or 513-388-4300 in the greater Cincinnati area.  Here’s looking to you!