You hate job hunting. I can change that. Talk to me about what you want it to be.

[AreaCode707]

Other question, for candidates - would you do an exercise-based job application that allowed you to show (not tell) your abilities? Even if that took longer?

 

[Leros]

Just boiling down a lot of the comments so far, the million dollar question is (as it always is):

How do you accurately match people to jobs where:

• there isn't enough manpower to manually review every submission
• even if there was, the manpower may be insufficiently knowledgeable
• the right person may not be a good resume writer, or content shown on a resume may not be very predictive about the person's possible success in the job
• you don't require massive time investment from the candidate to do granular data entry

I've read a handful of reports that suggest that quality of writing in a person's resume has a high correlation with how well they do in interviews. That's probably dependent on the industry though.

 

[EagleKeeper]

If software is going to be used to filter resumes; have the hiring manager determine the skills needed and rank them. The software should be able to have a level for # matches of key words.

If I am looking for a mid level Java developer; I would expect to see the word JAVA 3-4 times in the resume along with a few other Java keywords. Generate a weighting of such.

Looking for a driver developer; flag a combination of the word DRIVER, OPERATING SYSTEM, WINDOWS, UNIX, LINUX, VxWORKS, KERNEL, etc

The manager provides key words and the weighting/grouping of those words.
S/W pulls those words from the resume and generates a score; above a certain level; the resume gets forward to the manager.

Right now, it seems as if any given word will match some of those filters.
Recruiters may use different packages than companies but as an example:

I did HVAC software design for a company back in '90s.
Now, I need to scrub my papers, but I have gotten calls for slots needing an HVAC technician.

I have designed software for medical instruments; but medical coding of procedures for billing???? The word filter pick up MEDICAL, CODING and PROCEDURES. There are 3-4 other key words that those people need but they are not on my resume; as a result I should be filtered out.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Salary range : I expect the range to reflect the entry level extending to the highest rate the company is willing to pay for that job. Any dissatisfaction that arises subsequently from starting at the bottom to mid level is most likely going to come from other areas such as lack of competence in co workers, poor management or, business practices.

Explaining YOUR process : Let the potential candidate know the number of other candidates being considered and an estimated timeliness for the entire hiring process.

If an ad is well written and provides plenty of detail, I'll easily spend an hour researching the company and responding to an ad. Don't make me retype my resume into your form.

 

[rudeguy]

Other question, for candidates - would you do an exercise-based job application that allowed you to show (not tell) your abilities? Even if that took longer?

YES

If it was relevant. When I was on the job hunt, I spent hours filling out the same personality tests and weak skills tests. I would have loved to spend an hour or four really working through problems instead of trying to figure out the language games played in the personality tests.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Other question, for candidates - would you do an exercise-based job application that allowed you to show (not tell) your abilities? Even if that took longer?

For junior people, I can see it.

One issue is that the senior people become more specialized; many of those Brainbench tests use academic problems that may not be applicable to the real world.

 

[rudeguy]

I've read a handful of reports that suggest that quality of writing in a person's resume has a high correlation with how well they do in interviews. That's probably dependent on the industry though.

I would believe it. I hate talking about myself and I detest bragging, so my resume is very short and to the point. In an interview I would much rather talk about the job being offered than myself. I can turn on the sales charm, but I prefer not to.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I've read a handful of reports that suggest that quality of writing in a person's resume has a high correlation with how well they do in interviews. That's probably dependent on the industry though.

Resume writing services have a basic concept; but unless they know your industry, they are worthless.

I had 3-4 sample offers from agencies trying to "help".
Each wanted different formats that they "knew" would get attention.

different fonts, white spacing, passive vs active verbiage, etc.
chrono vs skill set; single line objectives; vs a full paragraph stating how greatest since sliced bread.

 

[DAGTA]

How much prep and planning do you put into those questions/discussions ahead of time? Or do you wing it and the conversation evolves naturally along whatever channels it takes and you learn what you need from there? Do you re-use the same questions repeatedly? Do you have these candidates do any hands on exercises to assess their real capabilities?

Phone interview questions are nearly 100% prep. Face to face interview is about 50 / 50 prep and going where the conversation goes. For the phone part, I tend to re-use the questions so as to keep a level playing field for the candidates.

During the face to face interview, we usually have a bit of hands on exercises.

 

[DAGTA]

YES

If it was relevant. When I was on the job hunt, I spent hours filling out the same personality tests and weak skills tests. I would have loved to spend an hour or four really working through problems instead of trying to figure out the language games played in the personality tests.

Amazon does this. I spoke to them about a job earlier this year. They gave me two problems with multiple steps and asked me to work on it over the weekend and reply with my answers. Even though it used up more of my time, I found that refreshing.

 

[ultimatebob]

Can you please READ my damn resume before contacting me? I love it when people contact me for a job that I'm not even remotely qualified for, just because your automated software found one the key words that you're looking for in my resume.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Other question, for candidates - would you do an exercise-based job application that allowed you to show (not tell) your abilities? Even if that took longer?

No -- that's what interviewers are supposed to determine.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Every division /dept has it's own culture. I resent recruiters /HR spending half an interview determining if I'll be a good corporate shill when it has NOTHING to do with the job I'll be doing.

 

[Ruptga]

I've spent 90 minutes on an application before, but that gets old extremely quickly and I avoid applications that look like they will take more than 30 minutes. I get that stuff about crosschecking for other jobs a person qualifies for, but that only applies to well qualified applicants. For entry level positions it is an absolute waste of time.

YOU are the only one that can define which applicants you really want. Do you want someone green and moldable, or a veteran that doesn't need training? Do you want an honest worker bee, or someone smart and ambitious? Do you want people who can think for themselves, or inoffensive cookie cutter types? All of those types of people have their uses, it is up to you to decide what it is you need.

 

[Ruptga]

Other question, for candidates - would you do an exercise-based job application that allowed you to show (not tell) your abilities? Even if that took longer?

Hell yes I would. That's something I always have an eye out for but I've never seen it, all anyone ever wants is boilerplate wall of text applications.

Having someone come in for an hour to demonstrate their skills has a number of advantages.
-It requires some commitment, so you won't attract as many resume spammers with it.
-It allows you to find good smart workers that have crappy resumes, tapping into a quality applicant pool most companies can't be bothered to even acknowledge.
-It should be a more honest process, since it's harder to fake in-person interactions.

 

[yllus]

I'd like proper, somewhat transparent matching of skills, experience and culture to positions. LinkedIn takes a few steps in this direction, but it could be so much better.

In my perfect world, every company would list their open positions somewhat transparently, with a structure that touches on each major thing I consider important about a place I'd consider working at. Basically a resume you could review before deciding an interview is something I'd be interested in. It's actually remarkable how little we know about companies at the time we look into working for one.

A) Market & Revenue: Company X is a media company of annual revenues of $1.62 billion, of which the digital division (of which this position is for) has revenues of $256 million. Company X is the 2nd largest company in the digital media space in the country.

B) Location: Company X has its headquarters in Toronto, Canada, and the location the position is at is a campus of 2,500 employees, with an employee gym, subsidized cafeteria and blanket coverage of Wi-Fi.

C) Team & Management: The position would report to Alex Kenning, the Director of Digital Product Development, who has held the position for 2 years. Mr. Kenning has twelve years of experience in digital media starting at Company Y in 1996, and has been with Company X with 6 years.

The team that the position works in consists of 11 developers, 7 of which work from the Toronto office, with the other 4 based in Montreal. The larger team consists of a Toronto-based design department and (hardware) operations team.

D) Technologies & Practices:

i. WordPress (PHP): The open-source CMS WordPress is used by Company X as their major consumer-facing platform for media products.

ii. Ruby on Rails: RoR is used for the various pieces of middleware and some mobile products created by Company X.

iii. Continuous Integration: Company X utilizes continuous integration combined with test automation to constantly push incremental improvements to the majority of their products.

iv. Agile: Company X practices the agile software development methodology, generally in two week cycles (sprints) with a highly integrated team to keep products improvements constantly flowing.

E) Photos: Honestly, I'd love to see photos of a workplace before ever considering to interview for it. I think it'd be a game changer.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

An exercise based application makes sense for some jobs but, not all. Some jobs would benefit from stating philosophic reasoning behind choosing a specific approach. However, it's difficult to implement and any discussion regarding motivation, focus and prioritizing beyond following policy is anathema to corporations.

 

[nanette1985]

You know what I really hate, that has become a trend recently. Applications that require the applicant to include a bunch of letters of recommendation.

I'm not looking for a job at the moment because of my disabilities. I've owned and run several software companies. So I have tons of former employees and associates that ARE looking for work. I gladly give out letters of recommendation to nearly everyone.

What then happens is that I get harassed with sales offers and propositions. I do code my letters so that I know exactly who is calling me. It's not pleasant. It sounds like the only reason agencies insist on these letters is because they are using them as some kind of marketing tool.

If any of the folks I give letters to actually got jobs that way, it wouldn't be so ridiculous.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Every division /dept has it's own culture. I resent recruiters /HR spending half an interview determining if I'll be a good corporate shill when it has NOTHING to do with the job I'll be doing.

The one thing I DESPISE the most are idiot HR interviewers who know next to nothing about how their organization works, let alone the specific position they are hiring for. Asking these jokers with detailed questions about the job only makes me look bad because they have no idea how to answer them and make the interview so bloody awkward.

Then these people go on to whine about how they can't find talent. Hilarious.

 

[Imp]

Look at me when I'm at the god damn interview. Talk to me in a conversation, don't make me do a written test, then an effing oral exam. Oh wait, that's just guberment -- ***k, I need out of here so bad.

 

[Fayd]

Suffice it to say that I'm in a rather unique position right now where I very well could effect substantial change on the recruiting industry.

While I've got plenty of ideas around what's presently wrong and what I think should be changed there are always more good ideas out there. So let's hear them!

A few rules:

• Feel free to bitch and complain (I know recruiting isn't popular) but include a alternative idea or solution that would address the thing you hate.
• Assume that there are too many people applying for every applicant to personally talk to someone at the company
• Assume that recruiters are still a part of the process, no matter how much you may hate that. If you hate it, tell me why you hate it and make a proposal that helps address that reason.

I would also love to hear about your personal process for job hunting or changing jobs. What motivates you, what do you look for to determine if a job is a good fit, what do you wish you could know when considering a job, what are good experiences you've had, etc? If you share on this I'd also like to know what type of work you do / are interested in.

[edit] Based on the responses below it looks like I should clarify. I'm considering software purchased by employers to manage their recruiting process. It does touch on third party agency recruiting but in a somewhat tangential way.

I hate internet recruiting systems forcing me to type my resume in Word.

I take time to get it looking good in LaTeX.

 

[SunnyD]

Other question, for candidates - would you do an exercise-based job application that allowed you to show (not tell) your abilities? Even if that took longer?

No.

That's something that a potential EMPLOYER is responsible for, not a placement/staffing recruiter. I don't care if you're even a recruiter with a field specialty, you're still not qualified to be administering a skill test as they usually have little to no relevance toward what a specific employer is looking for in a candidate.

 

[Sukhoi]

Not being clear on the exact physical location of the job until far into the interview process:

• By this you mean the specific address, right? Generally the only reason I've seen companies reticent about this is because they're either trying to avoid walk-in applicants, since they're not really equipped to properly handle walk-ins, or there's some security concern (angry people who didn't get the job, etc.) Otherwise I frequently see companies interested in representing their exact locations. With walk-in averse or security-conscious companies in mind, how specific does a location need to be for you to get the information you need to inform you about your commute / help you rule out the job?

Yeah specific address, or at least cross-streets. I'm in the SF Bay Area, so geography is important. It's quite possible a company on one side of town would take 1+ hr to drive to (I'm not doing that) while a place on the other side of town near the train station is only a 30 min ride. It's especially a problem with large companies with multiple buildings that are not adjacent to each other. Smaller companies I can usually find on Gmaps, but even that is annoying to have to spend time searching for.

Ah, also, be very clear if any sort of employee shuttle from nearby transit centers is available. Usually this is never discussed until at the end of the interview process when benefits come up. It should be mentioned before even getting to the interview process.

Frequently job postings on places like CareerBuilder and Monster only list the city, which is what my biggest beef is about.