That’s right – I had the pleasure to talk with the cool crew over at Recruiter Earth and share my take on the HR Technology Conference and the future of technology.  Well, as much as can be done in a 4 minute segment.  So make sure you head on over and check it out!  (Just click on the picture!)

And yes, I know I sound like I am 12. And no, I don’t think this picture will ever go away.  I’m stuck with it forever.

I was in a generous mood apparently as I gave shout outs to Hirevue, SmartSearch, GreenJobsInterview, Rypple, Jobing via Joel Cheesmanvia mjobs Mobile Technology (which you all know I am a fan of and if you don’t read my post What Happens in Vegas Doesn’t Always Stay in Vegas or I got some Joel Cheesman Love) and  HRMDirect and more.  I also said the phrase HR Geeks and that our industry keeps repackaging the same crap and adding new marketing.  I’m not sure if Recruiter Earth will have me back after my 12 year old sounding interview – but it was fun!

I had an interesting conversation with someone following ERE about the lack of innovation in our industry in terms of Candidate Experience.  He suggested that if a vendor really cared – they would have someone on staff solely focused on making the technology easier for candidates.  After just 1 solid rebuttel’s, he stopped the conversation.  Cold.  Seriously people – you should know by know that I enjoy a good Debate – I learn, you learn, we all win.  Anyway…It got me thinking about the conference and the space and asking the question if we really do care about candidate experience.

If you look at the agenda for the ERE Expo and any other conference that I am scheduled to attend this fall – the answer is no.   There are no sessions on candidate experience or applicant retention strategies or quite honestly even on talent pooling (yes, super old term – but I still believe in it!).  Candidate Experience was brought up in a few sessions – but other than Adidas & Walmart  - no one really seemed to have a company strategy built around it.   It is nice to talk about.  It is nice to think about.  It makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside – but we don’t really seem to care if we are doing it or not.  Well, not really.  You see, it is one of those hidden things in our industry that is championed and talked about by large companies (that may or may not actually do it) and agreed upon and validated by smaller companies (that rarely actually do it).  Another way I know we don’t really care  - no one really tweeted about it beyond Fogarty’s custom built interview rooms with the ugly table.

So, since there weren’t a lot of session – I will give you the Sarah White break down on Candidate Experience that will work for any size company.  How do I know it will work for any size company?  My mind is always thinking in terms of scalability

1.  Don’t have bad job postings.  A job description and a job posting are not the same thing.  One is HR.  One is Marketing.  That means one is boring and one is fun.  (Ok, maybe that was too far…)  I think it was Shally who said to explain what it is like you were talking to his Nana.  Give your value add – what makes you better than everyone else.

2.  Make it easy to apply. The higher level the candidate the easier the application process should be.  If you have people that have resume’s applying for your positions use a solution like HRM (yes, I am partial) that allows for a direct email submission – nothing to fill out, no log in to create – just send in the resume and make the software work.  If you use another solution – make it easy for them to submit – less than 3 mins MAX.  (Pharma companies please listen – your apps are WAAAYYY to long – good people won’t do it.)

3.  Make it easy to get information.  Connect with them on twitter, facebook, blogs (if you can do it right), linkedin, etc.  Do a newsletter for candidates you haven’t hired that sit in your database.  Create a website that has RELEVANT information on it – things they really care about – not a bullet point list about your company benefits.  Let them feel comfortable with you.

4. Follow up.  This is really simple if you have a good ATS.  Pretty simple if you have an OK ATS.  Regardless, it needs to be done.  Especially if you are in a consumer sales organization where every candidate is a potential buyer.  Believe it or not, a candidate would much rather hear a “sorry, you aren’t a fit” than nothing at all.  For many people, the fear of the unknown is far worse than their fear of reality.  So – send an email (automatic message) that keeps them updated on where they are or are not at in the process.

Ok, so it isn’t rocket science.  But if it is so simple  - why isn’t our industry norm?  Other than we don’t really care.

3 more ERE post’s this week before I shift my love to #Recruitfest09! Cause I gotta feeling…

I know it wasn’t my job – But,  I am pretty sure that SOMEONE for got to tell the HR Technology Vendors about the bad economy?  I mean what else would explain the results seen (and published) by some of my favorite vendors in the space.

The twitter wires were buzzing this morning with the links to the 2nd Quarter Results for SilkRoad as well as the results for Ultimate Software, an HRIS system. Both had positive results with Silkroad having its 24th consecutive period of sales growth!  Ultimate Software reported a 14% sales increase vs. same quarter numbers the year before!

Lets combine that with the fantastic results that privately held Talent Acquisition/Talent Management/Applicant Tracking/ATS/Whatever we are calling it now is Companies like HRMDirect and ICIMS and it makes you stop to wonder if we are starting to see the uptic – and it happened 2 months ago!

My thought on why these companies are doing so well and some tips to the rest of you vendors that may be struggling.   Here we go:

1.  They are not the most expensive products on the market – They are not the absolute cheapest.  They are robust products with a great value proposition to an organization so it is easy to actually find the ROI

2. They have great sales pros.  That doesn’t mean that they are smooth talking, high pressure, angry closer types of sales people.  They are consultative – want to provide value and respect your time (not call every day to check in on you and if you made a decision yet).  (I worked w/sales reps from all 3 when I was consulting and always appreciated this aspect of their sales process)  They also give enough information on their website for those of us with fear of forms issues (actually – icims – a touch more info would be great, but love the screenshots!) feel like we know what we are jumping into.

3. They are proactive when it comes to the market – when things need to be adjusted – they just do it.  They don’t feel the need to brag about every single client they sign or every step along the way.  They have taken on social media/twitter and are learning to use it – ahead of the other guys. ICIMS has recently started iblog, HRMDirect’s blog (New one launching this fall) is-  believe it or not actually writen by our CEO.  Himself. Seriously. No help.    They are also on Twitter – learning the ropes still – but on nonetheless – their tweets are not slams on other products (Umm…you know who you are – mystery vendor that will remain unnamed but I see through my tweetdeck search) rather an insight into their organization or the industry.   If you are on twitter make sure to follow these vendors – every once in a while, they tweet something cool. @HRMDirect @ICIMS @SilkRoadTweets

I admit, I have a fear of commitment on so many things and an unwavering loyalty to certain things that I commit to.

Example #1  Commitment Fear – I am almost OCD when it comes to making decisions on no brainer things in my life (at work, no issues w/this – odd?  yes)  like flavor of ice cream (do I do vanilla, vanilla bean, french vanilla? AND YES there is a difference) where to go on vacation, etc. because I don’t want to commit to any one thing and always be questioning if the other option was the right decision.

Example #2 Loyalty – TV Shows – I can’t stop watching a show after I commit to it – I call it being a show deserter and if it gets cancelled, I feel it was my fault all those people were out of a job.  You have NOO idea how hard it was to watch those last few years of Dawson’s Creek!  Yikes!  Now that Pacey (My first real TV Crush), I mean Joshua Jackson,  is on Fringe, I automatically become committed to that show as well…you see the crazy cycle?

Anyway, my point is – before I make a commitment, I like to explore all of my options.  Learn (in detail) about what I may be giving up and missing out on as well as determine the long term potential there.  I like to research and learn and make sure that I am making the best possible decision at this moment.

Once you fill in a form on a vendor’s website – you are commiting to a product.  Well, not the product so much, but the sales reps and email campaigns and everything that goes along with it.  You are putting your name on a proverbial dotted line of commitment that I just don’t like to cross until I am really, really interested in something.

So why are vendors making it MORE difficult to learn about their products right now?  Seriously – We are in a recession – they should be doing backflips that someone still is considering buying from them.   HELLO Vendors, no one wants to fill out forms to see some really basic information that your competition is offering up for free on their site, then get hounded by your sales people forever.

Believe it or not, my idea this morning was to write about the new performance management solution that Success Factors was offering for “emerging” businesses (Apparently, “Emerging” means you are under 50 employees which is what it takes to be considered a “small” business. UGH!! More terminalogy to learn!) I think small “emerging” biz is a really under focused on, yet important market and I was excited they were going to play ball in that area.  I was also excited that it was built on the cloud technology.   Then I got to the site and while there is some (limited) information – if I want to see so much as a data sheet of what the product even includes I have to commit to “the form”.   I can see for the online demo, pricing, etc – but to see what is included in the product?  Really???

My favorite part on the form was the statement:  “We will not share your information with 3rd parties.”

My immediate thought – It isn’t the 3rd parties we are concerned with…its your sales team!

I seriously started laughing out loud to myself at the irony of that statement.  Maybe someone without such a fear of commitment would have just filled out the form and gone on where there lives.  Me?  I see who else is doing the form thing (I am adament not to have it at HRMDirect) via some quick research and am proud to share some vendors that actually appreciate commitmentphobe’s learning about their product - HRMDirect, Taleo, PCRecruiter, ICIMS (to a lesser degree), SilkRoad, Newton

Ok, so you are like – What is Recruitfest?

Recruitfest is an “Unconference” type of Conference – Only 100 recruiting, branding & social media pros will even be able to get a ticket to attend.  You may be thinking to yourself, “That’s Dumb”  - but it really isn’t.  Recruitfest wants everyone to learn in an interactive, dynamic fashion and if you have too large of a group – the interaction is not taking place.  No boring powerpoints, no 10 minutes at the end of the session to try to squeeze in a few questions, no wishing you really understood how this could relate to your role, no need to not challenge the presenter….do I really need to explain further?

Recruitfest is a Recruitingblogs.com production and will be sponsored in part by HRMDirect Applicant Tracking System (other sponsors will be announced soon!)  For anyone who has been to one – it is an event not to be missed!!!

The conference will be September 23-24 in Toronto, Canada – so make sure you get your passport in line, like yesterday

Now you are like – “Why should I go to Recruitfest?”

1.  See what Recruitfest is above….

2.  Recruitfest is only $300!!  Well, that is if you are a Canadian.  For the rest of us –  our cost is around $250!!  Seriously, a conference for $250!!  The hotel has some great rates for attendee – around $160 or so a night

3.  There are GREAT track leaders that are going to be there – Jerry Albright, Julia Stone, Recruiting Animal……more to be announced soon

4.  You can meet me – or totally avoid me – you choose (of course, if you can’t come, I will blog the event on this site and tweet it from @hrtechblog)

Check out the site for RecruitFest – more details will follow