You Can’t Disrupt Human Interaction
On in Hiring Strategies, Landing a Job, Market Analysis, Working with Recruiters.
I got a sad email yesterday from Path.to, a startup that was trying to match developers and designers with job opportunities. They offered a unique twist, allowing candidates to add their “human” characteristics, the ones that can’t be displayed in a resume. Path.to wanted to create a service whereby employers could find people that had both the technical and cultural fit that they desired. The goal was then to create a dialog between company and possible employee. Unfortunately, the model didn’t yield the financial results that they were aiming for and they are now closing their doors.
While it’s never nice hearing about a company’s failure, this is a prime example of how direct human interaction is an invaluable component in making a successful hire. While Path.to understood that technical, cultural, and timing fit are the formula’s main parameters, they did not get that there is a lot more going on under the hiring hood. Many companies today don’t have the bandwidth to recruit no matter what a portal can offer, since you can’t blindly trust that a portal will yield what you are looking for. You have to turn to some method, like a partner you trust, and that is why good technical agencies still exist.
We currently have a 2 to 1 submission to interview ratio. Now this doesn’t mean we place every two people we send out (a guy can dream), but it does show that our clients trust that the candidates we present are worth talking to. Why does this work better than a slick technological system? Mainly because we have built long-lasting relationships with our clients and candidates alike. We are a step ahead, already knowing our clients’ environments, methodologies, and,in essence, their cultures. We build trust, and respect and honor that trust. That’s how we’ve been in business for 36 years. Maybe someday this will all be automated, but for the time being human interaction is here to stay when it comes to hiring great candidates.
Scott MacKinnon
VP of Operations
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