FREE ESSAY ON NEW TRENDS IN HIGH-TECH RECRUITING

NEW TRENDS IN HIGH-TECH RECRUITING

There is a new trend developing in the recruiting of high-tech employees. Due to the
competitive nature of the business, companies are looking for new ways to recruit
individuals that not only have the business and technical knowledge required to perform a
specific job, but they are also looking for candidates that fit well into the corporate
culture of the organization. Tech Planet is one such high-tech firm that is using this
new approach to recruiting. Instead of the normal first round job interview, applicants
at Tech Planet sit down to an informal meal with employees. The goal is to socialize with
the employees to determine whether the applicants belong in the organization. After the
initial meal, employees vote on which candidates will be invited back for the next
round.
During the second phase, job applicants are asked to...bring an essay explaining how they
feel about working with small businesses and how they envision their next job - plus an
inanimate object that best describes them. Objects brought by potential candidates in the
past have included Silly Putty, soccer balls, hair gel, and pictures of family pets.
Several other companies, including executive recruiters, are transitioning from a
traditional approach to this new unorthodox method of screening applicants. At some
firms, candidates are asked to play touch football or Yahtzee with other employees. The
belief is that these activities can demonstrate an individual's ability to work in a team
setting and how they will get along with colleagues. Though this appears to be a new
trend in the world of recruiting, some employment experts question the value of this new
approach. They feel that companies may overlook the most highly skilled applicants in
search of people who are just fun.
Another trend in the high-tech business world is the scarcity of information technology
employees. Recruiters are facing new challenges in filling open positions within both
technology and non-technology firms alike. Typically, the high-tech firms, new start-ups
with hopes of going public, are having an easier time filling their IT positions as they
focus on higher wages, bonus compensation, and stock options. Conversely, non-technology
companies with IT needs are finding it difficult to entice qualified candidates to fill
their openings. They just can't offer the perks that other technology companies are
offering and are losing potential candidates as a result. Today's generation is motivated
more by instant gratification and high incomes than benefits packages including medical
and dental insurance.
In my experience as a manager, I have found it difficult at times to find the best
candidates for positions for which I'm recruiting. Though there may be several applicants
who possess the necessary technical and business knowledge to perform the tasks, there is
a level of uncertainty regarding their ability to work within the culture of the
organization. Formal interviews are beneficial in determining some behavioral tendencies,
but it is still difficult to determine how individuals will work with others in the
organization if hired. If we were to implement a new approach similar to the one depicted
in the article, we might be better able to foresee how the candidates will work within
their teams, with their co-workers, and with their managers. The interaction could also
help uncover any negative tendencies that may be present that might not normally surface
until the candidate has been hired into the organization.
I agree with the employment experts that organizations may wind up hiring people who are
just fun, but that's a risk that may be worth taking. Business and technical knowledge
can be learned by most individuals that have a minimum set of skills, but personality and
behavioral skills are much more difficult to alter. Personal skills are not typically
learned through any coursework or training that individuals may attend but through life
experiences, though these may include training of some kind. I would prefer hiring
candidates who I felt reasonably confident would fit into the organization and could
learn the required business and technical skills rather than hiring individuals who
already had the business and technical knowledge but would not have the ability to fit in
the organization.
In addition, I feel that companies should do more market research to determine what types
of compensation the employees they are trying to recruit are wanting. If the company can
only offer A, B, and C, and the employee only wants D, E, and F, then there isn't a good
match for either party. If employers are having a difficult time filling current
positions, they should modify their benefit structure if at all possible or begin looking
toward a different market segment that may be able to perform the same type of work.
Bibliography
References
Kris Maher. New High-Tech Recruiting Tools: Unicycles, Yahtzee and Silly Putty. The Wall
Street Journal. Vol. CV, No. 111 (June 6, 2000): p. B14.
Sherry Kuczynski. While Supplies Last. Human Resource Magazine. Vol. 45, No. 6 (June
2000).
Andrea C. Poe. Face Value. Human Resource Magazine. Vol. 45, No. 5 (May 2000).