Use proactive techniques to filter resumes

One single job advertisement – be it on the company website, a job board or in print, is enough to invite a deluge of applications. Screening thousands of resumes word by word to match them to an open position is a daunting task indeed. Added to this is the fact that many people do not even bother to read the job posting and blindly submit their résumés.
As such, employers and recruiters spend too much valuable time on looking at and sorting applications. That time can be better used for interviewing and hiring top talent. Consequently, the selection process moves at a snail’s pace and weighs down hiring decisions unnecessarily.
Hence, instead of slowly going through scores of resumes for a handful of candidates and finally shortlist the ‘chosen one’, companies are opting for screening techniques that weed out the noise. As hiring managers can view what they need and easily skip the rest, this quickly narrows down the search and fills open positions faster with quality talent to boot. Tossing out the garbage
Traditionally, most recruiters went by the cover letter and if it was not impressive enough, discarded the resume unread. Else, HR staff was specially recruited to sift through innumerable resumes and reject those that did not fit the bill.
Later, companies began using specialised services of recruiting agencies and resume search agents to manually sort job applications and taper down the search to the person they need.
Now, dynamic tools have entered the horizon in the form of electronic application software that automate the sorting process to an unbelievable extent. This presents a channel to attach filters to job postings that match resumes as soon as the candidate applies, based on explicit criteria.
Employers can specify objective measures like industry, discipline, location, skills, age, and years of experience to extract resumes. Qualification tags, availability tags or even presence of specific text strings called keywords, can be used to sort profiles. The key metrics can be based on the unique characteristics they are looking for like, say - travel preference, preferred work location, desired salary range or even visa status. To further narrow down the search, employers can re-filter resumes by setting extremely precise criteria like ‘Ivy League school education’, ‘Sales Manager position’ ‘MSMQ experience’, ‘networking technology’, ‘HR work background’ and the like that they feel applies specifically to what they are looking for in a candidate.
This technique vigilantly retrieves most relevant job search results by eliminating those that do not possess the exact requirements and finding those that do. Therefore, hiring managers receive applications of eligible candidates only, without ever having to look at the unqualified ones.
Experts estimate that resume filters successfully purge almost 75 per cent of the crowd while exceptionally specific criteria can actually cut down the burgeoning list to just 10 per cent. Impressed by the speed and results, hiring managers have taken to filing paper resumes electronically so as to discern their suitability quickly.
So much more…
Advanced filtering tools permit blocking a candidate from applying to the same job again within a specified time period. Other features include further screening based on performance terms to assess candidate competency. Some even provide combinations of different criteria, say, skills and performance needs to generate a better resume pool. Recruiters can use search functions to sift through the remaining ones and organise them based on varying criteria. This displays a rank-ordered list according to how well they match the staffing needs. As such, the first people the company calls are the ones that are most likely to work out.
Apart from the initial screening, filters perform various other activities that make the recruitment process simpler and efficient. The tool can be used not only to reject, shortlist or put a candidate on hold, but also to contact him, forward/print the resume or file it for future openings.
Response management techniques facilitate sending automated, yet customised mails to selected as well as rejected candidates.
Also, companies can keep track of promising candidates who do not meet the criteria for the specified job, yet may prove useful down the road. This will generate a continuous supply of qualified candidates as and when needed.
However, it pays to keep in mind that applying excessively strict or fastidious criteria can backfire by screening out the best applications, thus precluding the organisation from hiring top talent.

PAYAL CHANANIA

Leaders should learn to accept criticism

It’s a fact – most CEOs and executives avoid criticism. People in corner offices actually think they can do no wrong and sequester themselves from any negative feedback.
Top-tier folks excel at doling out criticism, but baulk when they are at the receiving end. They start bristling at the very idea of someone ‘subordinate in rank’ pointing out their blunders.
In fact, anyone in a lofty position from a team leader to a manager to a coach arrogantly shuns critical comments, more so when they get the ultimate title of CEO or president.
In a recent study, a top HR firm, PsyMax Solutions, surveyed 13,000 employees, including 242 CEOs, to determine which ones were resilient, and good at taking criticism - basically tough-minded. Those deemed so by job type:
• Non-management employees: 83 per cent
• Supervisors, foremen: 79 per cent
• CEOs, chief operating officers: 65 per cent
What’s more, companies leave no stone unturned in implementing 360-degree performance reviews to solicit employee feedback. But the emergent criticism falls on deaf ears as senior leadership is averse to anything less than positive results.
Are the leaders really above reproach, simply by virtue of their position? Isn’t the failure to pay heed to detractors just blinding them to their own faults?

The ceremonial trappings
An executive consultant points out, “Few bosses - corporate, political and military - take feedback, especially negative, well. But CEOs, more than the leaders of politics or the military, can easily surround themselves with subordinates who only affirm and seldom question.”
The fact of the matter is that minions who excel at flattery and obsequiously overlook a flawed logic or disappointing performance surround most bosses.
Such sycophants unwittingly feed the leaders’ ego-assuaging narcissism that they can never commit mistakes. As such, they cannot take the heat of even the most constructive criticism and instead, lash out with a defensive, “I don’t have to hear this”, and “What does he know about this?” Or even worse, “How dare he speak to me like that?”
The fear of disciplinary action further silences employees and nobody ever ‘tells the emperor that he has no clothes’!
And, then comes the fall… after all, operating from behind ego filters and blind arrogance is a sure shot recipe for career disaster. The former CEO of a famous printer manufacturer is an excellent case in point.

Rolling with the punches
Well, accepting criticism is an essential leadership trait and necessary for successful running of the business. Also, learning to take negative feedback on the chin leads to career improvement and growth. As management writer Jim Hopkins observes, “The criticism you aren’t hearing could be the feedback you need to make your company prosperous!” The common feature of all successful executives is an overriding ability to take criticism objectively.
It pays to remember that not only are leaders accountable to their workforce, but also need constant inputs from their team.
Employees have the right to critique everything from the way a boss delegates work, manages projects or addresses employees to even his impatience or bad humour. Failures pertaining to product launch or disappointing business results are also bound to come under the scanner.
People in high places should remember that nobody’s perfect and it is quite human to make mistakes.

Take it in stride
So, the next time you receive criticism from a junior, resist the urge to deny it outright or discredit him. Even if the comments are unwarranted, do not stoop to retaliate.
Listen carefully, fathom where you are going wrong, learn from the mistakes and then change your actions/behaviour accordingly.
Soliciting alternatives and implementing suggestions will garner remarkable respect and improve morale. Moreover, try to go a step ahead and cultivate a culture of open feedback, where employees feel empowered to fearlessly criticise their superiors.
To sum up, top writer, Del Jones hits the nail bang on the head with, “Ultimately, there is no escape from criticism. Even CEOs who shun it know that, odds are, they will one day be victims of the ultimate criticism.”

PAYAL CHANANIA

Trust that binds

THEY say, "without trust there is nothing." But, the ability to trust and be trusted is a rarity nowadays. In fact, employees find it hard to place even an iota of trust in their employers. We do come across employees who do not have any binding loyalty for their companies. At the same time, we also know of companies that do not acknowledge employees' trust.
Trust helps harness creativity, improve productivity and reap the resultant profits. Mutual trust makes employees share ideas, voice concerns, focus on goals and function as an impregnable team with organisational interests at heart. Moreover, trust is the true essence of a high-performing and engaged workplace. Without trust, managers find it difficult to make their subordinates realise their true potential.
And, for the lack of trust among employees, employers have no one but themselves to blame. They do not realise that trust does not come in exchange for buttering their employees' bread. Nor do gimmicks like paying high salaries, over-the-top perks, lavish parties or pulling strings win any loyalty points.
Earning employee trust is not that difficult, but it requires sustained effort and lots of time. Companies have to take measures to gain the trust of their employees.
It's all about communication!
Employers should regularly share information with their personnel and keep them abreast of the goings on in the organisation. They should clearly establish their expectations from the employees and what employees can reasonably expect from the employer. Companies should ask for suggestions, opinions, ideas and questions from employees to keep them involved. Above all, the management should give clear answers to their workers and always tell them the truth even though it may be difficult to win their undying trust.
Lend an attentive ear
Managements should consider employees' observations seriously and listen carefully what they say. They should ask questions that probe and clarify the issue and also try and find out what excites employees and what puts them off.
What's your word worth?
Nothing builds trust more than walking your talk. In fact, more than 50 percent of the respondents in an employee survey said they considered hypocrisy the biggest problem in the corporate world today and blamed the top-level management for fostering distrust. Companies should keep the promises they make to their employees at any cost. Keeping promises nurtures dependability and faith among employees.
Management matters... and how!
Peter Drucker states, `Leaders should lead not only through knowledge and skill but through courage, responsibility, and integrity'. A recent study states that only 12% of effective leadership is based on knowledge and vision; the other 88% involves dealing appropriately with people.
Employers should adopt fair practices and ensure equal treatment of employees. They should stay away from micromanaging or hogging all the credit, otherwise such tactics drive employees away. Employees should be respected keeping their best interests at heart.
Be human first
Managements should let employees connect with them by relaxing a few formal protocols. They should never act tough and reserved but be open and share their goals, ambitions and dreams to build personal relations. They should not be afraid to reveal their vulnerability and acknowledge their weaknesses. They should not hesitate to seek employees' advice and expertise.
They are human too!
Employees are more than two hands and one brain! Companies should rise above the conventional employer-employee relationship of performance appraisals, feedback and supervision by showing interest in their workers. Sometimes, even a simple `Thank You' card can do the trick. The management should show that they care!
Everyone knows that the fragile employer - employee trust is difficult to build and very easy to destroy. Also, rebuilding trust once it has been lost is five times more difficult than establishing trust initially. Organisations should remember that simple trust is the biggest compliment their employees can ever pay them.

PAYAL AGARWAL