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Suzanne Bowen joined Webhire in September 2003, and has over 20 years of sales and general management experience in software and technology services. Prior to joining Webhire, Susanne held the position of Executive Vice President of Sales and Services for Workscape, Inc., a leader in the HR self-service category. During her tenure at Workscape, she was instrumental in achieving dramatic growth as the executive responsible for the strategy and execution of the sales, professional services, and ASP operating plans. She has extensive leadership experience accelerating growth and profitability in emerging companies.
Suzanne Bowen recently spoke with HR.com's CEO Debbie McGrath about the components of an effective sourcing strategy and how it should map to a company's talent acquisition process.
Topic: Winning the Talent War: A discussion on the effective use of Sourcing Technologies
DM: Susanne, can you please explain why strategic sourcing and selection is so important in today´s market?
SB: The Internet has dramatically changed the recruiting process in many positive ways; however the technology has made it almost too easy for candidates to find positions and apply for jobs. As a result, HR organizations can get bombarded with unqualified applicants. Getting too much of the "wrong thing" creates an efficiency problem that needs to be addressed if the company is going to be competitive. With a shortage of qualified candidates in many industries for skilled labor positions, it remains critical to quickly find the needles in the haystack so the company can take immediate action and hire the best talent.
DM: Can you please explain the components of an effective strategic sourcing strategy and how it should map to a company´s talent acquisition process?
SB: Simply put, the goal of strategic sourcing and selection is to have the right candidate, for the right job, at the right time. To be successful, organizations must be proactive in their planning, sourcing and selection strategies. This requires a strong understanding of the process and a vision for how to integrate the multitude of tools that are available today
Sourcing effectively is critical since it is at the front of the process. The early funnel if you will. If we can help customers, improve the quality of their candidates at the front of the process, everything downstream gets easier and more effective for them.
By leveraging advanced search techniques, streamlined screening and selection tools, and efficient processes for managing candidates throughout the recruiting process, companies will more easily be able to identify the candidates that best meet their needs.
Searching for candidates is the first step; important next steps include:
If companies are dedicated to executing a strategic sourcing and selection strategy, they will see efficiency gains throughout the entire hiring process, improved quality of hires and improved retention, shortened time to fill, and lower recruiting costs.
DM: Candidate sourcing is a multi billion-dollar business representing the largest spends for recruitment professionals. Candidate sourcing spending includes many activities, such as the use of staffing agencies like Kelly, Adecco and Manpower, to job board posting, to recruitment outsourcing firms, traditional advertising, as well as some of the new peer-to-peer tools that have recently appeared such as Linkedin.
The Internet has dramatically changed the mix of spending for HR Executives, cutting spending in traditional media such as newspapers and executive search firms, while shifting spending to Internet job boards and talent acquisition systems such as Webhire. Can you comment on these changes and what you see in the future?
SB: The changes you mention are representative of an exciting shift in our industry. Customers are starting to realize the true advantage of the Internet and strategic sourcing capabilities. One customer recently shared her excitement in saving over $60,000 within just three months of deploying our solution. She was able to fill several key positions typically sent to a search firm. There are huge costs savings available to customers who efficiently tap into strategic sourcing tools. Frankly, the amount of money being spent on non-traditional recruiting sources and the integrated applicant tracking support is directly correlated to customer´s disappointment in the efficacy of traditional channels.
Another significant change of late has been the attention paid by HR professionals to how their staffing goals are aligned with business goals. Companies recognize the value of the speed of the Internet as a candidate source when used effectively, yet they also realize that it´s not enough just to fill a position as quickly as possible. The high costs of employee turnover and poor retention are leading HR professionals to consider whether or not a hire makes good sense for the long term before the offer is made.
This drives staffing organizations to measure the cost of recruiting candidates more holistically than just the dollars spent on advertising or job postings. They aspire to measure quality of hire and the best sources of candidates for long-term potential and professional development, both of which drive the need to be more strategic in their sourcing and selection efforts.
Ultimately, better hires make more productive employees, which positively impacts the company´s bottom-line.
DM: You mentioned previously the importance of streamlining both the candidate and recruiter experience. Webhire recently announced a very close relationship integrating Monster into your platform. Don´t all Talent Acquisition systems integrate to the major job boards and what makes this announcement unique?
SB: No other talent management solution provider in the market integrates as deeply with Monster as Webhire. This solution is called WebhireConnect: Monster.
Without leaving the Webhire interface, recruiters are able to search the entire Monster database of over 44 million resumes. Recruiters have the option of searching the Monster database, their Webhire-hosted candidate database, or both simultaneously - returning an integrated, relevance-ranked results list. So within seconds, from one interface, recruiters have not only extended their sourcing reach beyond their own candidate pool, they have also delivered the "short list." The best part of all is that once candidates are identified, all of the profile information from Monster is instantly imported to the recruiter´s Webhire desktop - no more cutting and pasting or emailing of resumes to get them into the applicant tracking system. This is a considerable efficiency gain.
Additionally, our integration provides the most efficient candidate experience available today. Candidates who have existing profiles on Monster, which are the majority, don´t need to recreate profiles when they apply to jobs on Webhire. This makes the process much more efficient for candidates, thereby decreasing the typically high applicant drop-off rate and manual errors associated with the tactical aspects of applying for a job online. This makes it a win-win.
We are very excited about the Monster relationship. But I should point out that our Connect offering is a series of integrated sources.
Webhire also delivers integration with AIRS Oxygen, unlike any other talent management solution provider. This is called (surprisingly) WebhireConnect: AIRS. As long as the recruiter is an AIRS subscriber, all they need to do is click the AIRS link and they will automatically be able to search the AIRS network - no need to login to a new system. The recruiter can schedule searches, send candidate communications, and reach the entire extended network of AIRS Oxygen - including relationship networking tools such as Spoke. And just like the Monster integration, once a candidate is identified, all of their profile info is instantly imported to the recruiter´s desktop where the recruiter can further move the candidate through the process.
Lastly, to further provide recruiters with the most effective array of sourcing options, Webhire maintains a direct sourcing network of job boards that extends to more than 2,200 job boards to which recruiters can post open positions. Since this is built on our technology, we don´t rely on third parties´ posting technologies. This improves the efficiency of posting, updating and removing jobs from as many or as few boards as the recruiters need.
DM: So it´s more than just one step posting, it´s also about tracking, metrics, utilization etc. What advantages does this provide in terms of the source effectiveness tracking of the integrated job boards vs. non-integrated?
SB: Metrics and measurement are increasingly important as HR organizations manage their limited budgets and increasing demand for services. They need to be efficient and drive increasing productivity in their talent management efforts. Our deep integration with Monster, AIRS and the job board network provides specific source data. Recruiting professionals can really identify the source of their best candidates. Without the integrated capabilities of Webhire´s sourcing platform, it is very difficult to determine the true source of candidates as you often rely on manual capture of this information. We help our customers ensure that they are placing their precious resources on the most effective source and the best candidates.
DM: Do you plan to work on the same level of integration you now offer with Monster with other job boards?
SB: Our strategy is to deliver superior integration with best-of-breed solutions that best complement our talent management solution. We don´t need to own or build every element of the sourcing process. But we believe strongly in the value of integrating the tools, process and resulting data for the benefit of our clients. We pursued Monster and AIRS based on their quality and leadership position in the market. There are many other great brands out there with solutions that add value for both candidates and recruiters, so you can expect to see similar announcements from us.
DM: There is a lot of chatter about passive vs. active candidates. Why is it essential to tap into the passive job market?
SB: Our customers tell us that their number one challenge is finding the right candidate. We are very focused on ensuring that our customers have effective access to the world of active candidates. However, it is often the passive candidate that offers an excellent fit. As the economy grows and the workforce shrinks this challenge will become more acute. So, we are also helping clients identify the often hard-to-find candidates. Traditionally, employee referral programs have always been an extremely good source of candidates. It´s a positive reflection on both the candidate and the employee when it´s the right fit.
Expanding on the contacts and networks of employees is emerging as another positive way to identify passive candidates. Even though these folks aren´t necessarily out there posting resumes to job boards it doesn´t mean they aren´t interested in a better opportunity. And even if it´s not exactly the right time for a new opportunity, building relationships with potential candidates is an important way for recruiters to develop their talent pool. The bigger the talent pool of good candidates is, the easier time a recruiter will have finding a candidate when the right opportunity arises.
DM: What are some of the best candidate sources and how do they incorporate networks such as ZoomInfo/Eliyon, Jobster and Linkedin? How are these tools different from tools like Spoke and Visible Path?
SB: All of these you mention are good candidate sources, if used properly by recruiters.
We have chosen to partner with ZoomInfo, formerly Eliyon Technologies, because they deliver a database of over 25 million passive candidates. Their patented technology scans the Web collecting data from corporate websites, new sites, SEC filings and other online press and business resources to develop a database of candidates you won´t find on job boards or blogs.
Our integration with AIRS delivers access to Spoke, an innovative Web-based service for identifying potential prospects and accessing them through an extended network of relationships. Spoke's solution provides a better way to deliver the information and access recruiters need to open doors and accelerate their recruiting cycle by allowing them to easily discover new prospects, research leads and get access to key decision makers. By joining Spoke, users can multiply the power of their personal relationship network - providing unparalleled depth and breadth of information and access to people within companies not available from any other source.
LinkedIn, Visible Path, and Jobster all offer variations on the concepts of social networking and relationship building to help build the talent pool. We will continue to view these tools as potential extensions to our market leading strategic sourcing solutions.
DM: Building an employment brand that is aligned to your corporate brand is a topic that is gaining market awareness. How does the industry support the development of its clients´ employment brands and integration of industry best practices?
SB: We agree that building the employment brand is a critical component of the recruiting process. That´s why we offer services to design, develop and host career sites for our customers. Leveraging the brand equity they already have, Webhire helps companies promote all of the company information pertaining to employee referral programs, college recruiting, workplace culture, benefits, and more on both corporate intranets and Internets. Candidate self-service features such as candidate profiles, job alerts, and a job cart to ensure a great candidate experience, are integrated.
We also support the recruiters´ effort to build great candidate relationships and communicate efficiently and effectively. With features such as HTML emails, the recruiter is able to develop an ongoing communications plan for each candidate, while reinforcing a positive employment brand. Our 20 years of experience in the industry means we can deliver best practices that result in the most effective candidate experience and share the power of your employment brand - with both candidates and employees.
DM: There seems to be a lot of focus about workforce planning and analytics with regards to sourcing, and with talent management metrics in general. How will these tools help in the development of a sourcing strategy and can you tell us how they will impact the development of a company´s talent acquisition strategy overall?
SB: Human Resources involves so much more than fulfilling job requisitions. Attracting and optimizing the best talent provides a major strategic advantage. In a hospital environment, hiring the right people means improved quality of care and safety ratings. In product development, attracting top researchers can mean the difference between being first-to-market and being second best. Thus, recruiting organizations are seeking to leverage the extensive amount of data collected during the recruitment process to understand more than just cost of hire. They are looking to analyze how best to select and retain talent. For example: What types of individuals thrive in our culture? Are existing recruiting incentives and processes producing the right outcome?
Organizations are empowered to cultivate a talented, high-performance workforce. A tool enables corporate executives, recruiting managers, and recruiters to fine-tune hiring practices and talent management programs by analyzing critical talent management metrics and trends against internal objectives and benchmarks.
With ad hoc reporting capabilities and a dashboard to graphically display the results that address the needs of the varied stakeholders involved, Webhire Workforce Intelligence provides the HR organization with information that will help them:
DM: Can you give us an example of a firm that has effectively leveraged their sourcing and selection strategy and what their ROI has been?
SB: Forward thinking organizations are using technology to get them to short list of qualified candidates in just seconds. For example, one of our healthcare customers receives on average over 700 applicants per job. Close to 40% of those applicants are duplicates, meaning they have either applied for the same job more than once or have applied to similar jobs in their company in the past. Our technology automatically filters out the duplicates so you´re working with your pool of unique candidates.
Next, the customer inserts prescreening questions so that the candidates that meet the mandatory criteria are automatically expedited. Our customers find that about 60% of their applicants pass prescreening. So for our healthcare customer that gets over 700 applicants per job, after de-duping and prescreening, they´re still left with about 175 applicants that meet at least a minimal level of qualification.
Because this customer has defined an "ideal candidate" on the front end of their process, the recruiter is able to filter this pool to about 35 candidates on average. These well-qualified candidates then take behavioral and cultural assessments to further identify if they´re a good fit for the organization. Because this is fully integrated technology that´s automatically triggered when "ideal candidates" engage in the process, the company finds that after assessments, they are left with about five to seven strongly qualified candidates that they then engage in the interview process. And once again, it is important to remember that this all happening through technology and automated processes, saving HR, hiring managers and the entire organization considerable time. Most importantly, they quickly get to the best candidates before their competitors.
DM: Based on the looming talent crisis and all of the new sourcing technologies and techniques to measure their effectiveness, when should a company start planning its sourcing strategy?
SB: Now of course. But, most companies already have a sourcing strategy based on their projected hiring needs - now whether they have a strategic sourcing and selection strategy is another matter. Recruiters and HR managers can either be reactive or proactive. Reactive hiring is ultimately less effective - it may result in getting a candidate hired fast, but not necessarily the best candidate for the long-term needs of the organization.
So the first step in developing the most effective sourcing and selection strategy, is for HR to be aligned with the corporate goals of their organization - what specific positions or departments get prioritized based on the company´s goals.
Next, the company needs to develop a workforce plan based on these goals. If R&D is the primary focus for the coming year, then recruiting needs to be aligned with that; similarly if developing new business is a priority, then hiring the right sales force is the priority.
Finally, the company needs to develop a pipeline of candidates for their current and future hiring needs. By leveraging automated tools for building this candidate pool, searching against this pool, and identifying candidates who best fit the needs of the company at the right time, recruiting teams will efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the organizations they support.
DM: Susanne, Webhire has always been one of the innovators in the industry. With the acquisition of HR Sites International and the release of a healthcare-specific vertical product, what does the future hold for Webhire?
SB: Webhire is committed to delivering an end-to-end talent management solution that allows companies to attract, hire and retain the right people to achieve their corporate goals. Today, we accomplish this with the strongest strategic sourcing and selection solution in the market, our robust workforce intelligence solution and our distinguished Customer Care Cycle methodology that ensures the design, adoption, and ongoing services you need to maximize the value of the Webhire solution.
As we further our focus on employee retention and career development, you´ll see us venture in to talent relationship management, onboarding, and performance management - all of which provide customers with even greater return on their investment. We look forward to working with our current customers and new customers in the coming year to support their strategic HR needs.