How Applicants (and Hiring Managers?) Get Around Electronic Recruitment Tools
I couldn’t find the story on the Internet (must exist somewhere, though), but in the January 18, 2005 edition of the Wall Street Journal, the column “Career Journal,” (p. B6) discussed tactics used by online job hunters to directly
contact the hiring managers and send their resumes straight to that individual, rather than following the “official” procedure.
It seems as though some hiring managers permit this to happen, and the article goes on to say how one job applicant was able to get an interview that she might not have otherwise gotten.
There are several implications of this practice, including potential legal problems. So much for standardization!
By passing the normal application procedure, which should be managed by HR, has been a tactic taught as gospel by at least one major and highly successful nationwide third party recruiting organization, and I am sure immitated by many who don’t want to go through the chummy “approved vendor” process. And all too often HR has looked the other way. All the more reason to always have recruiting budgets administered by HR and not by hiring managers.
HR people go through the position description line by line and match it against an applicant’s resume. I work in communication. I was asked by an HR official if I have any radio experience I told her I had worked for CNN in television. She told me that wasn’t good enough to be considered and that it needed to be radio experience. By circumventing HR people with experience that is relevant but may not match up directly can get access to the hiring manager. As far as having HR manage recruitment budgets as opposed to the hiring manager, I think the hiring manager should. That manager knows the field and where to place ads. He also knows if a candidate is good and it is worth paying that candidate’s expenses to fly him in for an interview.