ExactHire ATS customizable interview form

Thursday, August 26, 2010 by Client Services
Do you often have multiple interview steps for many different positions? If so, there is a feature available in ExactHire's applicant tracking software that may pique your interest--the ability to create a customized interview form to record as many sets of interview notes for as many different interviews (and/or interviewers) for as many different positions as you want...and date stamp them. Whew.

If you are currently documenting interview notes in either the "Applicant Notes" area or the "HR Data" section of an applicant's record, this add-on feature might be worth a look if you are a high volume interviewer. Currently, using the "Applicant Notes" section you are able to enter as many different sets of notes (with date & name stamp) as you would like (see image 1), and with "Interview Notes" in the "HR Data" section (see image 2) you are allotted one text box in which to enter interview notes for an applicant. These notes areas are not specific to a position, but rather, to an applicant in general.




In contrast, check out the details for the customizable interview form (an example of one is shown):
  • Note the red arrow…this indicates a completed version of this form that has already been saved and attached to a Service Associate position.
  • However, as the green arrow indicates, you may save multiple versions of this form to accommodate an applicant's different interview steps within various positions. Each saved form may be edited or viewed later.
  • While the form shown at right shows only 9 data fields being used, you have access to as many as 50 fields that can be labeled however you like. These fields can be coded to be any of the following response types: Small/Medium/Large Text Box, Yes/No, Check Box, or Multiple Choice.
  • Because this feature is completely customizable to your preferences, it is an add-on to the “HR Data” section that ExactHire can turn on in your ATS site for a small annual charge.
  • NOTE: This can be made into a form to serve your other needs, as well--it doesn't have to be an "interview" form, specifically.
If you are interested in more information about this feature and other applicant management techniques, please contact ExactHire.

Press Release Details for ExactHire/Barada and Associates Partnership

Friday, August 13, 2010 by Jessica Stephenson
This press release was in the Business section of the Indianapolis Star on August 12, 2010.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/08/prweb4327504.htm

Barada and Associates and ExactHire to Provide Indiana Companies with New Hiring Solution
Barada and Associates, Indiana's premier provider of employment screening and reference reports, announced today a partnership with ExactHire, an Indianapolis-based developer of applicant software.

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) August 3, 2010

Barada and Associates, Indiana’s premier provider of employment screening and reference reports, announced today a partnership with ExactHire, an Indianapolis-based developer of applicant tracking software. The two firms are also unveiling the integration of their web-based platforms that will enable Indiana businesses to gain access to their most essential pre-employment services – background screening and application tracking – from a single, online solution.

“We entered this agreement because the two processes are naturally linked based on when and where they occur in the hiring process,” explained William C. Barada, Vice President of Barada Associates. “We selected ExactHire for the partnership because we wanted to provide our clients with a complete, integrated solution from two best-of breed-providers.”

The solution has already been rolled out to several Indianapolis-area organizations that are benefiting from the effort:

“The integration between ExactHire and Barada has made the hiring process move faster,” said Susan Johnson, HR director of Conner Prairie. “By the time a hiring manager makes an offer they want the candidate to start yesterday, so the quick turnarounds on information are terrific.”

“As a mental health organization, our clients could very easily be taken advantage of, so it is very important that we get a thorough background screen that we can trust,” said Tina Baxter, payroll coordinator for Meridian Services Corporation. “It is nice that we can now go to just one site and get the answers and the information that we need.”

The new service is especially beneficial for HR managers in the Indianapolis area who have previously been unable to get the same combined services from any other provider.

“Background checks are a logical complement to our other applicant management and assessment services,” explained Harlan M. Schafir, Partner with ExactHire. “This new integration will allow us to expand the valuable services that we’re currently delivering to our customers and improve the overall efficiency of the hiring process.”

About ExactHire
ExactHire’s leading-edge applicant tracking software helps organizations improve internal operating efficiencies related to the hiring process. The ExactHire solution focuses on JobFit and the gaining of additional knowledge of candidates before they are hired. This unique combination improves the quality of an organization’s new hires, saves time and increases profitability. For more information, visit www.exacthire.com.

About Barada Associates
Barada Associates was founded by Paul W. Barada in 1979, as one of the first employment screening businesses. Today, Barada Associates provides reference reports, employment verifications and background checks to employers nationwide. Our professional reports and thorough research give our clients a clear hiring advantage. Barada Associates remains headquartered in its original building in Rushville, Indiana. For more information, visit www.baradainc.com.

Use Hyperlinks in your Email Templates

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 by Client Services
Have you truly taken advantage of the ability to build email templates in the ExactHire applicant tracking software yet? As you probably know, they do come in handy when it comes to quickly and efficiently emailing large groups of applicants with similar and/or repetitive types of messages such as: no thank you notices; selection process updates; and offer of employment details.

However, did you know that you can use HTML code in your email templates to add text formatting and URL hyperlinks? Consider your potential uses for a hyperlink:
  • Link to the map/directions page of your company website when sending an interview invite to an applicant.
  • Link to a document that sets forth an applicant's agenda for an upcoming series of in-house interviews.
  • Link to an external site where an applicant may complete paperwork such as a background check waiver.
  • Link to a new job posting on your Search Jobs Page when emailing past "A Player" applicants, and invite them to reapply to more recent job listings.
The best news is that you don't have to know HTML code, yourself. ExactHire is happy to assist you with building such an email template for your site as a part of our ongoing and personal customer service. Just let us know what your ideas are for an email template and we'll get started!

An Employment Application's Place in the Selection Process

Friday, August 6, 2010 by Jessica Stephenson
I was recently emailing a newer client during our applicant tracking software implementation process, and asking him to make edits to the standard version of the employment application that we load to our client sites. After all, we can customize applications to the needs of each of our clients.

To this he responded:

"I’m actually wondering if I even want the actual employment application online.  At what point is the decision made for someone to actually fill it out?  Currently, we only get applications for candidates after they have interviewed face-to-face.  Your thoughts?"

This is a great question and one I have fielded before. After all, some of our clients have changed the placement of the employment application in their selection and recruiting process as a result of implementing our ExactHire applicant tracking software (ATS). And so I replied:

"Great question! The ATS portal actually uses the online application as the means by which ExactHire captures an individual's information in order to consider them as an applicant. That is, in order for one to apply for a position with your company, they complete the online application, and if they’d like, they may also attach their cover letter/resume. Without an application, we have no means of recognizing them as an applicant within the ATS for you then to manage them through the selection process.

It is perhaps a bit different of an approach than what you are used to at your company; however, it is nice to not have to worry about having to capture the applicants’ details after the fact and further into the interview process. Plus, you also have the option of asking job-specific questions on the second page of the application so that you may obtain more objective information about each candidate pre-interview so that you can better screen out unqualified applicants based on their answers to what I call “deal-breaker” questions."


If you have any questions about how your employment application can be customized on our portal, please contact us.

Filter your email recipient list

Friday, August 6, 2010 by Client Services
When using applicant tracking software (ATS), have you ever wished that you could drill down to view only the applicants to which you need to send a mass email? For example, you fill a position and then would like to send a "no thank you" email to the remaining applicants. Theoretically, you could access all the applicants for a position, but would then have to select the appropriate individuals in the entire list by manually locating applicants with a specific applicant status code. Or, you could take advantage of the applicant status code sorting criterion within the ExactHire ATS so that it is faster and easier to locate the applicants you want.

Here's how:
Access the "Send Email to Applicants" link from the gray navigation bar and then select the appropriate job, date range, applicant status code (ta dah!), and archive status (including the ability to choose archived-only applicants, if desirable).

Then, hit "Go" and make your applicant selections using the check boxes, or the "Select All/Deselect All" buttons. Hit "Create Email."

You'll then be taken to the screen on which you can craft your email message, or use an existing email template. Once you complete your email and hit "Send Email," your site will save an archive of the date and email template used (if applicable) to email the applicant.


Survive Your Family Reunion!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 by Jessica Stephenson
Okay, survive is a strong word. In fact, I am actually looking forward to my family reunion this weekend. I enjoy getting together with my extended family every once in awhile...especially my mom's side since we usually only see them every two years at this event.

It's funny, two of my other co-workers have had family reunions in the past week, as well. July must be the month for reconnecting with loved ones. And while they are loved, I'm certain that for some of you these get-togethers don't go without some entertaining drama as relatives catch up and express differing viewpoints on a handful of current events and family matters.

As I proceed through my life, I am more and more comfortable being my true self. And not just because Oprah says I should. I suppose with time comes perspective, but also a confidence to exhibit my unabridged personality. For me, that includes assertively (but believe me, not aggressively) trying to persuade my older sister to join us at the reunion this weekend. After all, it is only every two years that we see Uncle Ted and Aunt Barb from Virginia, right? But she doesn't feel like it since her significant other and kids won't be able to join her due to schedule conflicts.

I sympathize with this fact, but she will certainly know other people at the party. Nevertheless, I gently urge her to come anyway, and then finally resort to calling her "lame" when she ultimately refuses. After all, she is choosing to avoid spending extra time with her little sister, too.

While I usually second guess my "assertive" words after the fact, I still resign myself to the fact that I am who I am. And, the in-depth cognitive and behavioral assessment that I took when I interviewed here at ExactHire certainly unveiled my tendencies for the following (just to name a few):
  • mid-to high- energy level - I like to multi-task and I'm not the most patient person around
  • mid- to high-assertiveness - competitive and achievement-oriented
  • high sociability - conversational (surprise, surprise)
  • lower accommodating - I won't necessarily follow the group just to get along with others
So, don't you ever wish that you can have your family members or spouse take an assessment, as well? While I haven't hit my sister up to do it yet, I would imagine that while we are both high on sociability, her accommodating and energy scales would be a bit different than mine...hence the friction.

The good news is that we always work it out and realize that an effective sibling relationship takes a little compromise and give and take...the same way that any professional working relationship would, too. Along these same lines, there are many tools by which you can assess your applicants and employees to make sure that everyone will work together as a team in your office environment, not to mention achieve job fit in their own respective positions.

To help improve your employees' job performance, contact us about the assessments we offer at ExactHire.

Get to Know the Mass Archive & Applicant Status Update Tool

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 by Client Services
For a quick way to improve your applicant management efficiency, check out this time-saving report...

In the "Reports" section of the gray navigation bar within the ExactHire ATS, there is a link for "Admin Reports." To access the "Mass Archive and Applicant Status Update Tool," click on this link.

This report is a great means by which you can increase your efficiency as you do things like archive candidates and update applicant status codes for applicants on a mass scale—without ever having to look at the applicants’ individual records in the initial stages of screening.




Please contact us if you wish to learn more about the “Mass Archive and Application Status Update Tool."

New Affirmative Action Reporting Tool

Tuesday, July 6, 2010 by Client Services
For those of you who find your organization subject to Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) reporting, we have just unveiled a new reporting tool that will probably make your lives much easier! This new "EEO/AAP - Job Status" report link allows you to export a great deal of pertinent data from your applicant tracking software (ATS) to a CSV file. Relevant column headers in this tool include job status codes, employee hire date, jobs applied (including dates), and applicant-volunteered ethnicity and disability info...just to name a few.

In order to take advantage of this tool, there are a few behaviors that your team should consistently exercise while using the HR software to manage your applicants (see images below to follow along with numbered items):
  1. Job status codes are your friend - Always utilize "job status codes" (not just applicant status codes) to assign a unique disposition to each candidate for each job to which he/she applies.
  2. Hired? Yes or no - Use the "Hired" yes/no toggle radio button and drop-down date field within the "HR Data" section of an applicant's record. This data feeds into the reporting tool to indicate whether or not an applicant was hired, as well as on what date. Incidentally, these buttons also tell the ATS to display hired applicants in the "Hired Applicants" link under "Applicants" on the gray vertical navigation bar within the site.
  3. Clean slate job listings - When featuring open job listings within your site, always use the "Add New Job Listing" link to upload a job listing rather than the "Modify Job Listing" link in the situations where it is a position for which you post often. This ensures that each time period's batch of candidates stays associated only with the job listing that was open for a definite, finite period of time. That is, when you reuse job listings, you start to see applicants that applied months/years ago tied to current job listings...and that can make accurate AAP reporting more difficult.

For those of you that are subject to AAP reporting,
please let us know if you'd like more details about how to use this new report within your human resources software effectively.




Build a Recruitment Brand, And They Will Come...(Part 2)

Friday, June 25, 2010 by Jessica Stephenson
You may recall from "Part 1" of this story the emphasis I placed on creating and nurturing a recruitment brand for your organization. Because whether or not you address it, you have a brand...so make sure it is a recruitment brand you are proud to support!

In this post, we'll take a quick look at how you may use applicant tracking software to help maintain the recruitment brand you worked so diligently to create. Specifically, we'll look at an ATS as a launch pad to social networking platforms; as well as, a means by which you can easily use status codes to move candidates through the selection process--while keeping those candidates informed.

But first, after my last post I invited ExactHire client, Right On Interactive, to share how they create and maintain the Right On Interactive recruitment brand.
Right On Interactive logo
Here are Right On Interactive's President Troy Burk's thoughts on the subject:
  1. "We educate as much as we evaluate. We realize that throughout the entire recruiting process we must continue to show the value of the opportunity, the potential for personal growth, and future direction of our company.  The candidates are interviewing us as much as we are interviewing them.
  1. Be honest with the candidates.  We talk about the specifics of the position, the requirements, and what our expectations are for performance.  False expectations on either end will end in disappointment (on either side).
  1. If a candidate is not a good fit for the position, we will try to help them network with others that might be a better fit.   We have done this with several individuals and helped them find the right position (with another company)."
It is clear that Troy's organization understands the importance of mutual respect in the selection process, as well as how to leverage networking to help candidates. For more information about Right On Interactive, and their customer lifecycle marketing software, please visit www.rightoninteractive.com. Or, to apply for a position with Right On Interactive, click here.

So how can you use an ATS to exponentially increase the size of the audience that has access to your job postings? With ExactHire's applicant tracking software, you have the ability to allow candidates to "share" your job listing with friends and colleagues via the biggie's like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but also over 285 other Internet sites! And, if you have been paying special attention to your recruitment brand and how it dictates that you treat your applicants, you are much more likely to have site visitors that want to share your openings with others. Your recruitment brand is creating fans for your organization.
Social networking links available to applicants when viewing a job listing within ExactHire ATS

When you have the social networking under control, then it is time to keep applicants engaged by managing them through your selection process within the ATS. The administrative side of the ExactHire ATS allows you to use both applicant status codes and job status codes to assign a progress label to every applicant for each position to which he/she may have applied. Then, you may run a quick report that allows you to use status codes as search criteria to drill down to specific lists of applicants that deserve a follow-up email from your organization. Use the ATS to send emails to multiple candidates at once, and create a recruitment brand that embodies consistency in candid communication. Your applicants will note your efforts, trust me.

If you'd like to learn how ExactHire's ATS solution can support your recruitment brand, please visit our website at
www.exacthire.com.

Build a Recruitment Brand, And They Will Come...(Part 1)

Monday, June 7, 2010 by Jessica Stephenson
Over the span of each of your careers, I'm sure you can pinpoint at least one time in which you had a very unfortunate, if not comical, recruitment experience with an organization. That is, the company made some major blunder while recruiting you...for example, during an interview or a follow-up communication. If so, I invite you to comment and share your experiences, though please keep the organization anonymous to protect the innocent.

I'll go first. During my first full-time job search right out of college, I was engaged by an insurance brokerage during a job fair. I went through a series of interviews and also took an employee assessment before being invited in for a final interview with the principal of the brokerage.

Everything was going just fine, and then he started to ask me things like, "what do your parents do a for a living?" and "are you married?" Wow. Those are some major interview no-no's! While there is more to share to that story, you get my point. Needless to say, I decided not to pursue opportunities with that organization because of the implicit message their recruiting methods sent to me.

Now hopefully you have all had wonderful recruitment experiences, as well. You know, the organizations that really had their act together and left you feeling informed and valued as a candidate--whether or not you landed the position in the long run. What do these companies do differently to leave such a positive impression with you?

Odds are, these organizations have spent some time developing their recruitment brand. They have clearly identified the types of candidates that they seek, and have taken measures to consistently be up front with candidates about what should be expected from the recruitment process--sometimes down to the number of steps involved and the timing between each step. They appreciate the time applicants have invested in applying to their company, and while sometimes they are not able to personally address most applicants, they do use applicant tracking software in order to automate the process of sending responses to all candidates to explain next steps, or to thank them for their interest.

And because there are so few organizations who really live and breathe a true recruitment brand, you can imagine that the organizations who do spend the time reap the reward of a high volume of applicants. Build a recruitment brand and they will come...and the top talent will be included in those numbers, too.

So, with applicant flow covered, what can you do to manage the volume of applicants and really mine your database of individuals? Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog to learn how you may use applicant tracking software as: 1) a launch pad for social networking; and, 2) a means by which to assign status codes to quickly categorize quality applicants for future consideration as job openings become available.

If you want to learn more about ExactHire's Human Resources Software solutions, please visit our website at www.exacthire.com.

It is Your Choice to Have a Positive Day at the Office!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 by Susan Weaver
Remember the words of wisdom spoken to you by grandparents and parents as you were growing up?  Things like: “Be careful for what you wish for, you just might get it”; or “You are what you think”; or “Intentions equal results”. 

You may look at your current state of affairs and say, “this is who I am."  But it's not...it is who you WERE!  So what do I mean by that?

In the book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne, she unlocks ideas and tools to positive experiences and results.  I am a huge fan of this book and it sits beside me at work every day.  It is my opinion if the tools are practiced, it can propel us to overcome obstacles and catalyze us to be drawn to success both personally and professionally.  I try to apply the same principles to work as I do in my personal life.  Now, I’m not always 100% right on target but I do TRY! 

That being said, my thinking naturally floated into wondering what the lessons of this book have to do with work, or how they would be applicable if I were job hunting, or my co-workers were for that matter?  How do you hone your talent acquisition strategy to select people who fit into your office environment and bring positive results and job performance?  If we are being totally honest, we sense and feel a great difference when working with a positive vs. negative co-worker!  But, you think to yourself, they all "seemed so nice" and competent when we interviewed them!  It is easy to become a great interviewer despite the fact that one might not be a correspondingly great employee. You already know that a great resume does not necessarily always equal great job fit.

So, how do we gauge a person’s soft skills---those intangible traits beyond what the resume and educational background tell you?  There are employee assessment tools on the market to accomplish just this. Such tools are an important speaking point in any human resource planning discussion. To start a conversation about what "secret" personality and behavioral traits you want to uncover about your employees, contact us at ExactHire: www.exacthire.com.

I wish you all an enjoyable and successful day at the office!

Service Superstars: Mad Mimi Has Mad Skills

Friday, May 14, 2010 by Jessica Stephenson
Isn't it the best feeling ever when, while you are buried in email messages with other interruptions springing up every time you actually settle in to get something done, that you run across a company/service provider that is the beacon of light in your day? An organization that provides such amazing customer service that you want to tell everyone you know about how they really "get it"?

Enter Mad Mimi. No, not the "lovable" office assistant from 90's sitcom "The Drew Carey Show." Although, that Mimi's flair for color is one similarity to the Mad Mimi I know. Otherwise, Drew Carey Mimi is probably the anti-Mad Mimi from a customer service standpoint. The Mad Mimi I know consistently responds to my email support requests within no more than 5-10 minutes of me sending them...AMAZING! And its the little things that count, am I right? Let's face it, it is probably unreasonable to think someone can always provide an answer in such a short period of time. But, what organizations can do is acknowledge a request with a reply email and assure the sender that it will be addressed as soon as possible. That my friends is why I'm mad for Mad Mimi.

So what is Mad Mimi? It is a phenomenal under-the-radar email marketing company that I started using a couple of months ago. It allows me to use a ton of graphics and easily build what I hope to be lovely email updates to clients and engaged prospects. I found Mimi after reading a rave review in an article that someone on LinkedIn recommended to me. I was a little skeptical when I went to www.madmimi.com to see the hippie-chick-looking Mimi logo; however, the company truly does live up to their tag line: "Simple. Lovely. Email Marketing."

After showing their site to a business acquaintance recently, he admitted that he felt more "relaxed" after looking at their site and seeing how the tool works. And with all those emails and phone calls and general business-day hysteria, we could use a little relaxation.

So for all of you clients, prospects, vendors and friends who are setting the hysteria aside to read this blog post, please help to keep us at ExactHire accountable to being Mimi-esque. When it comes to your questions about human resources software, your curiosity about applicant tracking software selection, and your desire to effectively explain the results of the latest assessments you've given to your employees or potential hires, we want you to be raving about our level of service. That being said, if you have any suggestions for how we can continuously raise our game, we're all ears.

If you want to learn more about ExactHire, our solutions and our quest to be your own customer service idols, please visit our website at www.exacthire.com

Pass or Fail? Employee Testing vs. Employee Assessments - Part 2

Friday, May 7, 2010 by Jeff Hallam
Now for the review of the employer group I had referenced at the end of my last blog.  This particular group is a small, non-profit organization that employs a number of high-powered people.  They move at a fast pace and raise unbelievable amounts of cash.  They have been very successful over the years. 

So, why were they interested in using assessments?

The organization recently went through some changes within their board of directors and the decision was made to focus more corporate energy on talent management and overall job performance of their key staff members.  The goal of this initiative is to help them identify and groom the next group of leaders as they head into the future.

To help with this, this organization engaged us at ExactHire to assess their current key performers to better understand what things they had in common, what differences existed, and what key traits and characteristics stood out as critical for good job fit and employee engagement within their group. 

There was good communication with the employees as to the potential changes coming down the road, but many were understandably nervous about this assessment process.  Going back to my last post, many of these folks saw this as a "test" that had to be passed.

As we gathered everyone together for group feedback after the assessment results were compiled, it was obvious that many people were still apprehensive.  After walking them through what the assessment measured and what various results actually meant, however, it was wonderful to see a visible change in attitude for most of the people in the room.  Realizing that there was no "pass" or "fail", most were able to actually confirm that the results really did identify who they were and how they were likely to handle certain work-related situations. 

In turn, the HR Director for the organization now plans to use the employee assessment tool results as a platform for internal conflict resolution, in addition to the original career-pathing use. 

The moral of the story?  Be sure to first know the difference between tests and assessments.  From there, go out of your way to make that difference clear to your employees and applicants before asking them to take any assessment.  Getting them comfortable and open to what you are doing will always aid your goal of obtaining the best job fit possible for your organization and its employees.

If you want to learn more about ExactHire and our solutions, please visit our website at www.exacthire.com

Superior Service on the Seas

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 by Susan Weaver
I recently returned from a boutique Yachting experience in the Caribbean and experienced the most superior service I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying.  SeaDream Yacht Club prides itself on offering a unique experience to all that sail with them.  With no more than 50 cabins, passenger numbers aboard are small and therefore intimate.  There were dinners with the Captain, cocktails with the Captain and his staff, top chef dinners and room service 24/7.  Each cabin has its own steward to provide individual service, spa services, fresh flowers, champagne and a list longer than there is space to write.

But, what came from this as I watched, listened and contemplated what really made them special, is that it caused me to recognize that it was the people who worked on the yacht who truly made the experience superb.  The staff comes from all over the world!  How do they find them, how do they assess them and how do they train them?  Whoever does the hiring for SeaDream--they clearly have superior knowledge and skills on how to manage applicants, understand job fit and ensure high level job performance.


With SeaDream Yacht Club in mind, how does your organization create and cultivate your customer service brand? It starts with simply recognizing a customer's service experience as a branding opportunity and then employing individuals who will perpetuate this brand to your clients. To find customer service evangelists, or "Raving Fans" or service heroes (or insert whichever client service superstar moniker you desire here) for your company, look to employee assessments.

ExactHire offers an assessment called the Customer Service Profile as a means to help define the extent to which different values interplay to create your company's customer service brand. It is a tool that identifies the customer service practices that you value as an organization, and then assesses the degree to which employees and/or potential hires align with your practices. By drilling down to look at one's scores for each characteristic in this assessment (behavioral characteristics include Trust, Empathy, Focus, Tact, Conformity & Flexibility), you may quickly determine potential desirable or undesirable tendencies of this person as they relate to his/her ability to deliver on the promise you make to your clients via your customer service brand.

SeaDream Yacht Club employs folks who deliver on their customer service brand and then some...would your customers say the same about the individuals that you employ?

For more information about the Customer Service Profile or any of our other services, please visit our webpage.



ExactHire Partners with Orr Fellowship

Friday, April 23, 2010 by Jessica Stephenson
We're excited to be working with the folks at the Governor Bob Orr Indiana Entrepreneurial Fellowship, or Orr Fellowship for short!



For those of you who are not yet familiar with this exciting initiative, the mission of the Orr Fellowship is to "retain and inspire Indiana’s brightest minds. It serves as an applied training vehicle for the State’s future entrepreneurs and organizational leaders." Participants in the Fellowship program serve two year stints at some of the state's hottest, fast-growth and entrepreneurial-minded companies.

ExactHire just launched Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) for the Orr Fellowship, and we're proud to be part of the effort to battle "brain drain" in Indiana. The Orr Fellowship MyExactHire ATS creates a central repository of individuals who apply to Orr Fellowship and Orr Internship positions.

ExactHire's ATS solution creates a technologically-savvy means by which Orr Host Companies can quickly view the applications and qualifications of applicants, as well as contact these applicants for interview consideration, directly. These companies, some of which are also ExactHire clients (i.e. Angie's List, Compendium Blogware, RightOn Interactive) will have the cream of the crop from which to choose as Orr Fellows are some of the sharpest recent graduates in the state.

If you know of people who may be interested, please share these two listings with them (they are hosted on the MyExactHire ATS):To explore whether or not Applicant Tracking Software is a fit for your organization, please contact us.

Pass or Fail? Employee Testing vs. Employee Assessments - Part 1

Friday, April 23, 2010 by Jeff Hallam
A thought occurred to me last week after a meeting with one of our clients -- why don't more organizations use employee assessments?

Here at ExactHire, we use and promote the use of assessment tools for many employee issues.  Among those uses are hiring, team building, succession planning and 360 degree feedback for performance reviews. 

Then it hit me...most people (and therefore organizations) see these tools as "tests", not assessments.  Tests mean I either pass or fail, right?  Flashbacks to high school and college cram sessions start to dance in your head.  The knot in your stomach you had when opening your report card becomes a very vivid memory.  Sound familiar?

Don't get me wrong, there are lots of true employment "tests" out there.  For those positions where one needs to have proficiency in particular areas (technology skills, proficiency with tools & machinery, etc.), tests can be very appropriate. 

However, for most positions in most organizations, "tests" are not applicable.  But, assessments are.  Why?

When hiring or promoting people, organizations want things to work.  So do the people involved.  Who wants to take a new job or be promoted to a new job where they don't enjoy it?  Everyone involved wants the same thing...job fit.  Simply put, get the right people in the right positions to achieve maximum efficiency. 

Where these processes fall down is that they involve people.  To be clear, I'm not suggesting that assessments replace the human element involved in hiring/promoting people.  I am suggesting, however, that very few of us are good enough at judging others to consistently make good decisions in these areas.  This leads to hires & promotions that regularly either don't work well (at best) or are outright failures (at worst). 

As you can probably gather from my remarks to this point, we are big believers in using employee assessments to improve the odds of making better decisions when hiring or promoting people.  In my next post, I'll take you through a recent client experience where many of the employees who took part in an assessment pilot initially felt they were being "tested" vs. assessed.  What we saw with them may interest you as well.  Stay tuned!

If you want to learn more about ExactHire and our solutions, please visit our website at www.exacthire.com

Butler, the Big Dance, and Bull’s Eye Job Fit

Thursday, April 1, 2010 by Jessica Stephenson

I am positively euphoric this week after watching my Butler Bulldogs bring a juicy Final Four bone home to their own backyard! As a member of the very first “Barry’s Bad Dogs” student cheering section more than a decade ago (now known simply as the “Bad Dogs” since Barry Collier is the AD while Brad Stevens has the coaching reins at Butler), it is amazing to realize what my alma mater’s team has accomplished in the last ten years.

 

There’s a lot of talk about The Butler Way. While it has certainly been defined, anyone familiar with the style of Butler basketball knows that it is a distinct, disciplined, collaborative way of playing the game, grooming the players, and emphasizing athletics and academics. It is a culture in itself.

 

With any culture, as values are increasingly well defined, individuals involved in the group enjoy a synergy and understand how to work in a way that promotes the most efficiency and success for the group. If an individual’s behavior, skills, cognitive ability and personality are a natural complement to the group culture, he or she is sure to achieve his or her full potential and contribute to the success of the group.

 

The Bulldogs’ continued effort to recruit players that subscribe to their culture is paying off in a big way. But in your organization, do you have a clear vision of your culture and how it translates into bull’s eye job fit for your employees and future hires? And if you do, great, but how do you then measure and assess an individual’s likelihood of superior job performance? You use employee assessments as part of your talent management process.

 

Sure, you think you have done a decent job of screening and hiring successful employees without assessments so far. Most of your hires work out, some don’t. I challenge you to think about whether your current caliber of teammates and talent acquisition processes would barely qualify you for the NCAA Tournament; or, would you make it to the Final Four and win the championship in your industry?

 

To win in your industry by recruiting players with better job fit, contact ExactHire at www.exacthire.com. Go Dawgs!

Good Talent Acquisition leads to Job Fit

Wednesday, December 16, 2009 by Jeff Hallam

Libby Sartain, Chief People Officer at Yahoo says that “What makes a great employer brand is how it serves to attract and retain and engage talent.” It seems like we are all trying all sorts of ideas to do just that. Ms. Sartain, along with Mark Schumann, has completed a book entitled, Brand for Talent, a sample of which can be read here.  There were a couple of issues that caught my attention. They were how a talent brand must “be the strategic tool for a company to attract and retain people and survive Social Media.” Connect to article here.

 

In the book, the authors emphasize that there is a new “consumer of work.” This consumer is what we used to call job seekers. While the leaders of this new shift are members of Generation Y, it can just as easily be those well before Generation Y. It is not as much the age factor that is working here as it is a comfort level with and reliance on technology. These are people who see no reason to shift their reliance on technology when looking for a job. 

 

If these new “consumers” are not totally engaged in the organization, they will continue to look for opportunities even after they have taken a position with your company.  Their overall job performance will likely suffer if technology isn't central to the duties of the job.  Therefore, it becomes even more important to begin that engagement process at the earliest possible moment à from the time they view your application process(including addressing the social media piece) to how you ask your interview questions to how you onboard them.

 

This means using HR software as a cornerstone to your recruiting and human capital management processes is critical.  Applicant Tracking Software is the first interaction most of these "consumers" will have with your organization.  You want to utilize a solution that  provides the tools you need to be user friendly, technology savvy, and offers a way to express your company brand effectively.  In addition, the solution must provide multiple ways of using  social media to get your brand and job opportunities visibility in the employment marketplace.  Finally, this applicant tracking software should offer a way to ask those critical interview questions right on the application that can help ensure that a person is going to fit within the culture of your organization. This most definitely contributes in a positive way to ensuring the engagement of these "consumers of work" and their long term commitment to your organization.

Visit our website at www.exacthire.com to learn more about how our applicant tracking solutions can help you better acquire the right consumers of work for your organization.

Job Fit

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 by Harlan Schafir

Most of us will do more shopping in the months of November and December than we do all year. Have any of you left a store and wondered what process the company used for hiring the associates you just had to interact with.

Have you wondered if your customers ask the same questions about your staff and your company?

While we as owners and key managers feel we know how to treat customers and prospects the truth is that most of the time it is not us that interacts with this key group. So our job is to hire  people that have great Job Fit and will have great employee engagement to make a difference.

When I explain great customer service to my staff, I tell them that it is not complicated. "How does the customer feel when they hang up from talking to you?" That is how customer service is defined, and they measure it every time they interact with us.

If you want help figuring out who will be great in this crucial area of your company visit our website. In short order we can show you how to make changes in your company that will return significant results.

Visit us at www.exacthire.com to learn more.

Employee Assessments and Job Fit Produce Superior Financial Performance

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 by Jeff Hallam

At ExactHire, we believe that picking the right employee for the right job is the most critical part of the hiring process. Making sure there is a fit can make the difference in whether you keep a customer or not. And, keeping the customers you have and gaining more leads to financial success.   While we all agree with this line of thinking, let me share a story as to how this has been statistically proven to be more than just a theory.  

 

In 1997, Anthony Rucci, then Chief Administrative Officer at Sears, wanted to test a theory. The theory was that the leading indicators that predict financial performance were employee attitudes and whether customers saw their stores as fun places to shop.

 

They went to Claes Fornell International Group, an organization made up of

econometric statisticians at the University of Michigan and asked them if they could help prove this theory. CFI took years of data that Sears had collected on customer satisfaction and work-place questionnaires and put it into their causal modeling technique. The result was that the CFI modeling told Sears that two key components, employees’ attitudes about the job and attitudes about the company, predicted their behavior in front of the customer. How employees behaved in front of customers predicted the likelihood of customer retention and customers recommending Sears to others.  In turn, this directly predicted financial performance. 

 

Here is the real key: They built an “empirical model that says unless you have a trained, literate, motivated, competent work force, and give them decision-making authority, you don't get satisfied customers no matter how good the merchandise is. The right work force creates customer satisfaction, and that produces superior financial performance.” (http://www.cfornell.es/resources/articles/sears.pdf)

 

Your chances of keeping these most valuable human assets begin with selecting the best ones in the first place. That means using the best applicant tracking tools, assessments for job fit and making the onboarding process as seamless and informative as possible. Visit: www.exacthire.com and learn how we can help you produce superior financial performance.