2020 Top Posts in Recruiting

I’m sure I’m not the only one who is excited that 2020 is coming to an end. It’s been a challenging year to say the least. As an optimist, I typically try to end my year, focusing on the bright spots and lessons learned rather than stressing over the failures and mishaps. Here’s are some of the 2020 highlights based on reader engagement.

My conversation with Matt Alder, host of the popular The Recruiting Future Podcast, was one of the this year’s highlights. We spent some time discussing my vision for a Recruiting Utopia. Here are some of the highlights:

• AI assistant to help source and evaluate candidates
• A more rhythmic process to recruiting leveraging Sprint Recruiting
• More automation for recruiters to spend more time on value-added activities
• An intense focus on Talent Analytics to create candidate personas and more efficient recruiting strategies.
• An intentional push to recruit effective leaders, NOT effective managers.

Give me Data!

This year’s radical shifts have required recruiting leaders to focus more on data than previous years. The changing landscape has made us more aware of our need to make data-informed decisions. There are a number of tools available for recruiters to leverage data in every step of the process. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Visier’s Ultimate Talent Dashboard – If you need a simple yet powerful dashboard with all of the important analytical data at your fingertips, Visier’s product may be a good start. I share my thoughts and some screenshots in this post along with some ideas for implementing a more data-informed recruiting strategy.
• Create more efficient and attractive job descriptions with Data– Emsi’s free tool allows recruiters to unlock the power of job descriptions with their tool Emsi Skills. In the post, I walk through the tool along with some examples of how I’ve used it to create more impactful job descriptions. And if you’re one of those who think job descriptions are dead, read more about my thoughts on how job descriptions will evolve in the coming months. “Job Descriptions Aren’t Dead”
• View Real-Time job postings– COVID19 forced a lot of us to reevaluate how we use data in the job posting process. My friends at Emsi shared their dashboard to show job postings in real-time as a response to COVID-19. It’s a fantastic tool that has a number of benefits outside of COVID19 response strategies.
• Stop relying on your ATS for data– I’ve found most recruiters only use ATS data for their recruiting strategy. This year has proven just how short-sighted this strategy can be. Here are 3 Top Reasons WHY Relying on your Applicant Tracking System to Develop a Hiring Plan is a Mistake. This will definitely be something to consider as we all continue preparing for 2021.
• Reevaluate your Recruiting Metrics– The key to talent acquisition metrics is measuring what counts. I know it sounds redundant to say but there are a lot of recruiters and talent acquisition teams measuring the wrong metrics. Here are some ideas for your 2021 metric dashboard. Bonus: Recruiting by the Numbers– Panel discussion on the top metrics to focus on in the new Talent Acquisition Landscape found on the following channels:  Apple Podcasts Spotify iHeart Radio
• Recruiting Automation Podcast-I discuss how BBVA USA has adapted its candidate interactions to nurture and welcome candidates through today’s unprecedented candidate journey. I also discuss how we use data to pinpoint and address inclusivity challenges in the hiring process, and share how BBVA USA has gone above and beyond in it’s own D&I culture, both on global and local levels.

Recruiting AI and Machine Learning

Each new year brings the topic of Recruiting or Talent Strategy to the forefront of business news. My discussions with other Directors of Talent Acquisition have shifted from strategies to tools to help us meet the needs of our businesses. The impact AI and machine learning can have in recruiting is very exciting. Here are some highlights from my discussions this year:

• 2 Ways Machine Learning can transform recruiting– Whether it’s more efficient sourcing or an enhanced candidate experience, machine learning will continue to force recruiters and recruiting platforms to evolve. Here are just 2 ways I see it impacting our industry in 2021.
• Leverage Wade & Wendy’s AI to transform recruiting– I have become slightly obsessed with how AI will transform recruiting, especially over the next 18 months. As I read how numerous industries leverage both AI and machine learning to create efficiencies, I eagerly await the pending boom of technology that will transform the recruiting industry. There are so many inefficiencies in every recruiting process that could be overcome by the power of the right AI tool.
• How AI can increase recruiter productivity– One of my fascinations lately is how we can leverage AI in Recruiting to increase productivity. I was fortunate enough to connect with Mark D’Angelo with Ideal.com recently to talk about their product. This is not an endorsement of Ideal.com but rather a sneak peek at the awesome opportunities we have ahead if we begin using AI in Recruiting to increase productivity.
• AI & Video Interviewing Platforms– The selection process in recruiting can be draining, especially in high volume recruiting environments. I always struggle with the amount of time spent reviewing resumes, scheduling initial interviews and screening multitudes of candidates who seem to be a fit for the role. The idea of video interviewing platforms taking lead on this process has always intrigued me so I was excited to spend some time with Matt Baxter from Wedge to view their platform.

2020’s impact on Sprint Recruiting

This year has been incredible for my team and I as we continued to transform the Sprint Recruiting Methodology. Here are some of the top posts on the topic this year:

• What is Sprint Recruiting? If you are unaware of what I mean by Sprint Recruiting, this is a great post to start with. If you’d prefer to hear me talk about it, check out the Recruiting Hackers Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. I also talk about it with Matt Alder on his podcast.  Listen here
• How Sprints make us more effective– One of the key drivers of Sprint Recruiting is the sprint itself. It is also one of the major mindset shifts both recruiters and clients have to address when adopting the Sprint Recruiting methodology. Why do sprints work in Sprint Recruiting? One word-efficiency!
• Using the point system in Sprint Recruiting – Prior to implementing Sprint Recruiting, I found it hard to balance what should be done with what needed to be done.  Part of me was driven by my over-achiever mindset and wanted to prove I could do all things like a superman. The other part of me was driven by the value I placed on the relationships I had developed with my hiring managers.  Both drove me to succeed but I did not have a clear way to chart my ultimate destination.
• The importance of Feedback – One of my favorite companies to learn about is Netflix. I guess since I have been addicted to their product since 2008, I am always curious as to how the company continues to raise the bar. One of the product deliverables I am obsessed with as a client is the ability of the platform to know what I might want to watch next. Here’s how they use feedback and what we can learn in recruiting. Bonus: the importance of hiring manager feedback.
• Sprint Recruiting, The Book – I’m excited to announce I’ll be releasing our book, Sprint Recruiting-Innovate,Iterate & Accelerate in January of 2021. Be sure to join the list and get your copy first!

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I’m excited by the progress we’ve made in 2020 and hopeful this trend continues into next year. I hope you’ve enjoyed the 2020 Recap and share it with your colleagues. Do me a favor and comment on which topics you’d like to see discussed more in 2021. It’s always great writing on topics I know my fellow recruiters will be interested in reading!

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