TWG Recruiters - The Wellington Group » ATS http://www.twgrecruiters.com "Experts in Talent Delivery" Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:32:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 8 Musts for an Effective Resumé http://www.twgrecruiters.com/advice/8-musts-for-an-effective-resume/ http://www.twgrecruiters.com/advice/8-musts-for-an-effective-resume/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:28:19 +0000 chris http://www.twgrecruiters.com/?p=1013

Chris Wellington “The Recruiting Guy”, President, The Wellington Group

First and foremost, this blog title and piece are based on the tried and true principals of Napoleon Hill in his 1937 book titled  Think and Grow Rich.

As a consummate learner and researcher, I am always intrigued to find nuggets of information which to both share with jobseekers / clients and apply in my practice. This information caught my eye as many of his suggestions from 1937 still hold true today, but seem to be lacking in numerous résumes we receive, from new grads to seasoned executives!

Eight Musts for an Effective Resume

  1. Education
  2. Experience
  3. References
  4. Photograph
  5. Apply for a specific position
  6. State your qualifications
  7. Offer to go to work on probation
  8. Knowledge of your prospective employer’s business

While some of these principals may seem odd or ‘old school’ I view them as genius. Education, Experience, References, Qualifications and Applying to a specific position with a resume that matches the employer’s needs or the job description are all crucial to setting yourself apart in the current sea of competing candidates. Going to work on Probation is great for new grads and may be stated in your Cover Note or in the resume. Employers may not take your up on the offer, but they will love the commitment.

Most HR Professionals and Professional Resume Writers would tell you not to post a picture on your resume, and I agree. Current ATS systems, HR tracking tools and OFCCP / EEO regulations may present an issue with this type of information. What I do suggest however is putting a nice, professional picture on your social media sites such as LinkedIn or Ecademy. People want to work with and hire people, the more true and real you can be the less ‘mystery’ of your candidacy becomes for that hiring manager or recruiter.

I will suggest you go to the library and check out this book and use it as a tool or guide for your career search. After all, your resumé in many instances is THE FIRST IMPRESSION of you to that new potential employer or to the recruiter with the job opening.

Good luck in your career search!

Chris

For assistance with developing your perfect resume or cover note from the TWG staff visit the Career Store or contact The Wellington Group @ info@twgrecruiters.com.

]]> http://www.twgrecruiters.com/advice/8-musts-for-an-effective-resume/feed/ 0 What are the Best “Modern” Applicant Tracking Systems, ATS? http://www.twgrecruiters.com/advice/what-are-the-best-%e2%80%9cmodern%e2%80%9d-applicant-tracking-systems-ats/ http://www.twgrecruiters.com/advice/what-are-the-best-%e2%80%9cmodern%e2%80%9d-applicant-tracking-systems-ats/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:39:24 +0000 chris http://www.twgrecruiters.com/?p=271 Chris Wellington “The Recruiting Guy”, President, The Wellington Group, LLC

Recruiting and Technology: Session 1

There was a recent discussion on ERE and LinkedIn about what a “modern” applicant tracking software (ATS) tool should include and the ROI for your business. Many of my consulting clients in the staffing or executive search business ask my opinion on, or are seeking, a new tool as the current tool they have is not being used or does not have the latest bells and whistles. Below is my response to this question, which has generated a lot of interest and discussion.

It seems people are looking to buy or enhance current ATS systems as technology continues to advance. I have done a lot of work with various ATS tools over the years through my exposure with sitting in technology positions / chairs within industry and HR associations. While I do have favorites and have gone as far as to be a SME and / or reference for 2-3 tools, I would say “it depends.” A true ATS tool used in the staffing / recruitment arena is very robust and not just a tracking and on-boarding tool utilized by HR. A true staffing / recruitment ATS tool not only tracks applicants, but is intuitive to the job order(s), client(s), and end user(s) for the candidate so one note in the system follows all points. The top tools on the market right now even go as far as to incorporate the following:

1. Web based
2. Integrated email which auto-tracks to all records
3. Third-party tool friendly (i.e. able to utilize some of the hot tools like Contact Capture and Diver)*
4. VoIP / Network phone integration for auto-dialing and call tracking
5. Can produce reports easily with NO extra costs
6. Integrates with your website
7. Email or at least sendouts tracking (are they being looked at, if so how often and by whom)
8. Applicant tracking back to the specific job (auto-parsing)

The reverse should be true as the ATS should also be able to act as the CRM tool for client management so recruiters are not trying to track down notes, a sales rep or looking through other systems to get valuable information about a client or manager. The best tools are based on a CRM platform where both the client and the candidate are treated as a potential lead and everything has a time stamped tracking (this way you can meet various employment standards and regulations by clients and the government). Bad tools make you work for it on the client side. Worse, bad tools require more tools to manage clients in say salesforce.com* or ACT.*

One should look through all the activity for your company to see just how robust of a tool you need and use this as the benchmark for making a decision. Far too many recruiters and firms jump into a tool based on costs or the friendly rep and it cost them 10 times to get out of it! If it is not easy and intuitive for the staff, it will not be used…hands down from experience!

Feel free to connect with me off-line and I can share what my top 5 ATS tools are…

*Contact Capture, Diver, salesforce.com and ACT are all trademarked products.

For assistance with your Job Search from Chris Wellington and others on the staff visit
The Career Store or Get in Touch.

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