Though the internet
has made it easier for job seekers to locate openings, technology has also made
those posted positions more difficult to obtain. Whether reentering the
workforce with experience, or making a debut after graduation, applicants may
have more in common than they know when it comes to applying in the digital
hiring environment. While the former may fall short on educational
requirements, and the latter may lack experience, it’s equally possible that neither’s
application will be seen by human eyes. With more exposure from online
resources, Human Resource and recruiting personnel had to improve screening and
applicant processing efficiency out of necessity. As anonymously published on
LinkedIn, “Today many companies often receive thousands of RESUMEs and
applications for vacancies they advertise, as the job market is competitive and
the use of internet advertising spreads the word far and fast.”[1]
[SIC]
Consequently,
technology for Human Resources has advanced. According to HR Dive columnist Alison Doyle,
“Many
employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS), also known as talent management
systems, to process job applications and to manage the hiring process.”[2] Intended
to streamline recruiting, the application processing, and the soft-side of new
employee onboarding, data is uploaded, organized, and stored digitally. Per CareerMetis.com, “Applicant tracking systems offer integration with
other online forms, such as job boards…Candidates apply on the job board sites,
and their information is parsed into the software.”[3]
However, the limitations of technology can cause qualified candidates to
be overlooked if keywords or other specified indicators in an application are
not found by the software. This oversight may be due to technical issues (such
as formatting compatibility) or over-exaggerated position requirements. Nevertheless, the software is configured
to sort CVs by specified elements, and each application is either discarded or
retained as a result of the advertised position’s exact parameters within the
ATS.
It’s no surprise that
applicants have become aware of this automated sorting hat’s existence. In
fact, of 2,100 adults surveyed by the American
Staffing Association, 69% “feel the job-hunting process is impersonal,”
and 80% “feel their applications and resumes end up in a black box."[4] Furthermore, 83% of respondents
confirm that though finding job postings is easier than ever, “emerging technologies (e.g., big data mining of résumés and
job-on-demand apps) actually make it more difficult to land a job.”[5] With hours invested tailoring
resumes and preparing cover letters, applicants may be caught off guard by checkboxes
well into the application process. Though the candidate’s cover letter may
illustrate their ability to perform the requested job functions, and their resume
may highlight all applicable skills, their application is discarded; is the applicant
one month shy of the required experience and/or one class short of a required
degree? No human ever sees this candidate’s potential, and applicants are
facing ethical dilemmas as a result.
In a 2017 HireRight survey of HR
professionals, “85% of survey respondents uncovered a
lie or misrepresentation on a candidate’s resume or job application during the
screening process – up from 66% five years ago.”[6]
These exaggerations,
misrepresentations, and falsifications most commonly pertain to education,
experience, and job duties.[7]
Perhaps applicant tracking systems are to blame, at least in part, for
candidates doing what is necessary to get their resumes in front of recruiters.
This, in turn, is causing HR professionals to seek even more advanced systems
to sift through a plethora of resumes. A virtual circle of watch-dog software
and applicants’ countering strategies has created the need for change in
digital recruiting and hiring.
Advocates for increasing automation,
efficiency, and cost savings are considering the addition of verification
software (or blockchain technology) to the process. Per Julio Alejandro, founder and CEO of Humanitarian Blockchain, “Blockchain is a ‘magical notebook’… Everything written can
be eternally reproduced. It’s public for everyone to access and available so
you can verify its authenticity at any time.”[8]
In theory, schools and
employers would upload employment details, educational accomplishments, and
other virtual credentials. The applicant would then authorize a potential
employer to access his or her associated files directly. Allegedly, these
databases would remain secure, records would remain available, and credentials
would remain accessible regardless of hacking or issuing institution closure. Per
Danny King, CEO of Accredible, which provides
online certification and verification services, “Although blockchain
cannot guarantee all exaggerations or flaws will be detected, it does
dramatically reduce incidents of fraudulent points and helps employers get the
most accurate picture of their candidate’s credentials before hiring."[9]
Presently, blockchain technology lacks both a common
platform and wide adoption, but innovators imagine verification software fully
integrated within applicant tracking systems.
While positive
results may include the redistribution of HR bandwidth to better support
current employees, drawbacks may be the potential downsizing of company HR
departments and the further reduction of human
in Human Resources. The wide adoption of blockchain technology (and potential
abuses thereafter) would create new challenges for HR professionals, legislators,
and law enforcement alike. Per Adam Bridgers, an attorney with workplace
law firm Fisher &
Phillips LLP, “Previous employers
could put past performance reviews on a chain," but no mention is made of
the subjective nature of annual performance plans. Consequently, a disgruntled former supervisor could black-list a former
employee on an industry-wide level; modern-day cyberstalking and trolling would
seem amateurish in comparison. Bridgers then wonders in a HR Dive
interview (almost as an afterthought) about the ethical implications of blockchain
access as compared to today’s social media platforms: "Will we be asking
whether we should ask candidates for access to blockchain in the future?"[10]
Perhaps, that is not the question we should be asking.
After the 2017
Equifax cybersecurity breach, storing a vast quantity of personal and
professional information in a single location (with blockchain technology or
any other) should be a disturbing concept for any sentient being above room
temperature. It is not just about asking if leaders can possess the technology,
but asking if they should. “In today’s modern
employee tracking ecosystem, HR is both people manager and data ethics steward;
the two functions are now blended.”[11]
Yet, if the United States Office of
Personnel Management was able to fall victim to a data breach, impacting
approximately 21.5 million current and former government employees or
applicants, how can a single central data repository (or any HR Department) be fully
trusted?[12] Further,
if not HR, then who? Above all other departments, HR is used to dealing with
sensitive information, but if HR employees are incapable of understanding the
complexities of cybersecurity, how can they ensure that personally identifiable
information remains confidential?
Does the future of HR require more
programming than people skills? Will the human element be reduced to mere ones
and zeros? One
need only view James Cameron’s 1984 science-fiction action
film The Terminator to
envision a worst case scenario of humanity’s dependence on technology and
artificial intelligence (AI). Per author Riia O'Donnell, “In the era of ATS,
AI and algorithms, tech promises to make recruiting easier for business — but
the personal touch maybe getting lost in the digital shuffle.”[13]
Though
applicant tracking systems and blockchain are currently far from Cameron’s “Skynet,” concerns of data security, AI,
and technology’s impact on the workforce remain hot topics in HR related news. As
stated by Hoyong Jung in his LinkedIn article, The Need for AI Development, “Now we need to decide whether to develop
AI or fear it.”[14]
However, fear need not wind the clock back to manual entries
on paper. Instead, balance must be found between recruiting tools and the human-element
of the process. But how can Human
Resource personnel provide personalized experiences for each applicant when, as
explained by Rob Rawson, Chief of Staff at Staff.com,
“they receive dozens or hundreds of applicants with 95-100% of them not qualified
or adequately skilled for the job.”[15]
Interestingly, Jeanne-Elise M. Heydecker, Senior Vice President of iPlace USA, responds
to Rawson and illuminates the real problem in a subsequent blog response:
Many
hiring managers … don't know how to write a proper job description…They may
require that the person come from only Ivy League schools, or require 5 years
of experience in a technology that's only been available for the past 3…HR
departments in many companies now use Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) to
track applicants… If you are a qualified applicant, but used different terms
than what's being searched for, you will never be found.
Consequently, the job
description and requirement parameters, as entered into an ATS by HR personnel,
are revealed to be a root cause of resume misrepresentation and the subsequent
need for verification software.
The
connections between blockchain, applicant
tracking systems, and job requirements become linked (even entangled) when job
postings are reviewed in quantity. Are the experience and educational
requirements actually interchangeable for the right candidate? Are they remotely
realistic for the compensation being offered? For example, should a bachelor’s
degree really be required for a job with a $12 an hour pay rate? Do we still
wonder why there is a student debt crisis? As stated by author Alison Doyle,
job requirements “are deemed by the employer as essential to satisfactory
performance in that job,” but are they intentionally inflated to reduce the
number of applicants and streamline the process for HR staff?[16]
Doyle continues, “When creating a job listing, employers imagine an ideal
candidate, but they may never find someone who meets all of their
requirements.” She even recommends applying for “attractive positions” even if
“most, but not all, of the requirements” are met. Doyle’s colleague at The Balance, Madeline Burry, agrees, “It's not a deal-breaker if you do not
have all of the qualifications listed, but ideally, you'll have most, and the
majority will be at least familiar to you.”[17]
However, should an ATS be in
use (with YES/NO checkboxes inevitably three-quarters of the way into an online
application), is the candidate being encouraged to be dishonest? They have,
after all, already invested time and effort into the application process. It is absurd to expect honesty
from applicants (and subsequently hired employees) when even the employer’s job
posting lacks integrity. Should greater transparency as to realistic position requirements and acceptable equivalencies be required?
Would blockchain be needed for credential verification if posted requirements
were not over-inflated to reduce applicants? Gad Levanon, Ph. D. and Frank Steemers,
Chief and Associate Economists (respectively) for The Conference Board confirmed this
hypothesis in a February 2018 blog. After the Great Recession, “employers took
advantage of market conditions and up-skilled the positions (raised the
educational and experience qualifications for job openings). Employers got used
to these higher qualifications and were somewhat reluctant to down-skill as the
labor market got tighter.”[18]
Potential employees knew they were capable of performing the duties and
responsibilities listed, and consequently felt that embellishing would be the
only way a CV would be seen by human eyes.
Honesty in both job
requirements and acceptable equivalent experience, a human touch in Human
Resources, and empathy during the recruiting process will prevent the need for
a cloud in the sky to verify virtual credentials. Liron Panaczuk, VP of People Operations at
Wibbitz, reminds HR professionals to “put yourself in the candidate's shoes, remember how
it feels to go through the interview process, and follow the “Golden Rule” by
treating them the same as you would want to be treated.”[19]
[1] “The Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Applicant Tracking Systems for
Recruitment.” LinkedIn. 28 Oct. 2015. www.linkedin.com/pulse/benefits-drawbacks-using-applicant-tracking-systems-appliview-the-ats/. Accessed 20 Feb. 2018.
[2] Doyle, Alison. “Learn the Basics of an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) How Employers Use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).” The Balance. Jan. 2018. www.thebalance.com/what-is-an-applicant-tracking-systems-ats-2061926. Accessed 20 Feb. 2018.
[3] Cameron,
Amanda. “7 Applicant Tracking System
Benefits You Need to Cash in On.” CareerMetis.com. Sept.
2017. www.careermetis.com/applicant-tracking-system-benefits. Accessed 1 Mar. 2018.
[5] “Hiring? Make the Process Personal.” Cision PR Newswire. Feb. 2018. www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hiring-make-the-process-personal-300595984.html. Accessed 1 Mar. 2018.
[5] “Hiring? Make the Process Personal.” Cision PR Newswire. Feb. 2018. www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hiring-make-the-process-personal-300595984.html. Accessed 1 Mar. 2018.
[4] Bolden-Barrett, Valerie. “Workers say they feel like
they're sending resumes to a 'black box'.” HR Dive. Feb. 2018. www.hrdive.com/news/workers-say-they-feel-like-theyre-sending-resumes-to-a-black-box/516804/. Accessed 20 Feb.
2018.
[6] “10th Annual
HireRight Benchmark Survey Finds 48 Percent of Employers Do Not Rescreen
Employees, Despite Prevalence of Organizational Risk.” Business Wire. Apr. 2017. www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170419005191/en/10th-Annual-HireRight-Benchmark-Survey-Finds-48. Accessed 1 Mar. 2018.
[7] O'Donnell, Riia. “Could blockchain bring the end of resume
exaggeration?” HR
Dive. Feb. 2018. www.hrdive.com/news/could-blockchain-bring-the-end-of-resume-exaggeration/516546/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2018.
[8] Alejandro, Julio. “Blockchain for good – a
beginner’s guide”. NS Tech.
June 2016. tech.newstatesman.com/guest-opinion/blockchain-for-good-beginners-guide.
Accessed 27 Feb. 2018.
[9] O'Donnell, Riia. “Blockchain: What is it and how is HR using
it?” HR Dive. Dec. 2017. www.hrdive.com/news/blockchain-what-is-it-and-how-is-hr-using-it/513229/. Accessed 20 Feb. 2018.
[10] O'Donnell, Riia. “Blockchain: What is it and how is HR using
it?” HR Dive. Dec. 2017. www.hrdive.com/news/blockchain-what-is-it-and-how-is-hr-using-it/513229/. Accessed 20 Feb.
2018.
[11] Moody, Kathryn. “As
rules change, HR managers ask: Should employees have access to data on
themselves?” HR Dive. Feb. 2018. hrdive.com/news/as-rules-change-hr-managers-ask-should-employees-have-access-to-data-on-t/516901/.
Accessed 26 Feb. 2018.
[12] Sciutto, Jim. “OPM government data breach impacted 21.5 million.” CNN. July 2015. www.cnn.com/2015/07/09/politics/office-of-personnel-management-data-breach-20-million/index.html. Accessed 27 Feb.
2018.
[13] O'Donnell, Riia. “How to ensure the human touch isn't lost in
the digital recruiting revolution.” HR Drive.
Feb. 2018. www.hrdive.com/news/how-to-ensure-the-human-touch-isnt-lost-in-the-digital-recruiting-revoluti/517414/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2018.
[14] Jung, Hoyong. “The Need for
AI Development”. Linkedin. Feb. 2018.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/need-ai-development-hoyong-jung/?trk=eml-email_feed_ecosystem_digest_01-recommended_articles-16-Unknown&midToken=AQHWsz4npgzCFg&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=3d6Ge1ZNbBv881.
Accessed 27 Feb. 2018.
[15] Ostler, Andrew.
“Pros and Cons of Job Posting in the Technology Age.” Employment Crossing. www.employmentcrossing.com/employers/article/900018232/Pros-and-Cons-of-Job-Posting-in-the-Technology-Age/ Accessed 9 Feb.
2018.
[16] Doyle, Alison. “What Are Job Requirements?” The Balance. July 2017. www.thebalance.com/what-are-job-requirements-3928054. Accessed 10 Feb.
2018.
[17]Burry, Madeline. “How to Decode a Job Advertisement.” The Balance. Aug. 2017. www.thebalance.com/how-to-decode-a-job-advertisement-2061002. Accessed 27 Feb. 2018.
[18]Levanon, Gad & Steemers, Frank. “Downskilling: Employers can no longer have their cake
and eat it too.” The
Conference Board. Feb. 2018. www.conference-board.org/blog/postdetail.cfm?post=6706&blogid=7. Accessed 27 Feb. 2018.
[19]Panaczuk, Liron. “The best way to break up with your candidates.” HR Dive. Feb. 2018. www.hrdive.com/news/the-best-way-to-break-up-with-your-candidates/517232/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2018.