Ditch 'black holes', says Forbes

Business mag Forbes has published an article calling readers to ditch ‘Ten Mad-Men Era HR Practices‘, including what it calls ‘Black Hole’ recruitment portals – Applicant Tracking Services offering no human interaction.

In an entertaining read, author Liz Ryan calls for the abolition of a number of allegedly prehistoric policies, such as Doctors’ Notes, Time Off Policies and Proof of Death documentation.

But perhaps her most noteworthy target is the ATS, about which she says:

In what may be the worst example of an over-reliance on technology to perform a human task — that is, matching quirky and brilliant humans with complex assignments – Black Hole recruiting systems turn more creative and capable people away from your door than they let in, and undo whatever efforts you’re making to brand yourself as a talent-worthy employer.

Ryan adds that ‘sharp employers are ditching their Black Hole processes for human-voiced recruiting systems that attract employees the same way they do customers — by making it easy and inviting to take the first step.’

ATS have been the subject of some flak in recent months, with a flurry of articles with titles such as ‘Getting past the robo-gatekeeper‘ and this article on Inc.com in which resourcing guru Lou Adler says most hiring technology is ‘still about weeding out the weak rather than finding the best.’

Precisely how to replace an ATS with a cost-effective human alternative is less well-explored as a topic, however.

About the author

Andrew Baird

Andrew is the CEO of HRville. He is also Employer Brand Director of Blackbridge Communications, Editorial Director of Professionals in Law and an associate of The Smarty Train. Previously, he was the MD of TCS Advertising.