My generation is the last of a dieing race. Recruiters as we know them will be extinct very soon. Maybe 30 years! Caput.....boom....gone, or should I say transformed into some kind of 1/4 man 3/4 computer grotesque humanoid. Recruitment will be an end to end automated process. XML is changing the way the world interoperates. As groups like Oasis, RosettaNet and The Word Wide Web Consortium (W3C) try to mediate the peace and wrestle the trenchantly vested subjective proprietary focuses away from the 20 stone A-pex Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, Oracle, SAP's of the world, they usher in a new age of shared information. System to system business will flourish. Call it what you will - I call it S2S; not sure if that acronym exists already but if it doesn't -it should!!! With the publishing of the recent XML Resume format back in August of last year we've come one big step further to realising this. I've been nattering on about this for a while. I even wrote a brief article about it 4 years ago which was published on our domestic business paper, Sunday Business Post, on Monster and also on the Irish HR magazine called People Focus. However, not all recruitment will be automated. It will be piecemeal. It will be by osmosis. Like most revolutions it's an evolution. The fluffy-bunny-cuchie-wuchy- hold your hand-look them-in-the-eye interview will always exist. An eye ball staring at an eye ball (let's call it i2i It will be around for a long time [ it needs a name too ] ). It's the quintessential screening differentiator. The point being though, staring us in the eye is we should stay ahead of the creative curve to constantly reinvent our sourcing, screening and closing techniques to ensure we can connect to talent niches as effectively as possible.
What we will see in a super-flat recruitment model is a very carefully laid out schematic which breaks down each segment of a candidates skill-set and each section of the screening process and probably also all the semantics involved in offering and closing positions to a granular, infinitesimal, scalpel level. Ultra precise screening will exist ( just look at the XML resume and you'll see what I mean). A lot of this may happen with a few simple clicks of a button. And who knows even one day with one magical click. Someday there may be ubiquitous, universal agreement on what this schematic should look like. It may be different for individual job categories and even individual jobs but in my opinion due to the cost savings, time savings and increase in quality, companies will come round, set their subjectivity aside and make this happen. If companies don't do it job seekers will do it. XML can make this possible in conjunction with the merging of RSS feeds, Wi-Fi transmissions, and God knows what else is around the corner.etc. It's hard to explain the way I see it happening. I reckon it might look a little like this, let me paint a scene, it's easier:
INT. ATRIUM 3 (IRELAND) -DAY- 2024
A young hiring manager called BOB, wearing a U2, let's go play on the moon t-shirt, has just received a message while driving. His rear view mirror turns into an LCD panel and begins to beep. It sends a signal to his one-piece nano ear plug controlled by his car COMPUTER.
BOB
......Ok. I'll take it.....!!!
Bob hears a incoming message from John Crammer (his software lead).
COMPUTER
Text. Audio or Left Eye Visual?
BOB
Audio.
The transmission takes place.
JOHN
Bob, after careful consideration, and God knows it hasn't been easy - I've decided to leave the company. I had a chat with the wife and kids and we've decided as a family it makes a lot of sense if I leave the company to set up that restaurant we always talked about. It's the right time. And I won't be changing my mind. The thought has been in my mind since Easter and now that we've launched XP Seamless 2.0. It's time to go. I'd like to see out my 3 month termination clause but I'll understand if you want me to leave earlier. I'll talk to you in the office when I get in. Thanks Bob.
Bob hits the horn on his steering WHEEL. Shouts. Calm's down. Gathers his thoughts.........
BOB
Computer, switch on DVB-S link to home computer.
COMPUTER
Done.
BOB
Find the recruitment folder on my floating drive. Select job specs. XP Seamless division. Software lead. Have you got it?
COMPUTER
Got it. What next?
BOB
Send it to my left eye visual and also to my iPod. Also please read it to me.
The computer turns off the music and he listens to the job description being read out to him. he thinks for a moment before responding....
BOB (ctd)
Computer. Please add an extra 10,000 euros to the base salary and increase the car allowance to level 65. Please call in SU-XSIO [his PA]
Su-Xsio's voice can be heard. A Chinese twang comes on the phone. She's at home. Her babies can be heard screaming in the background.
SU-XSIO
Yes Bob. Sorry about the noise. They'll be quite in a moment. I just turned the fish bowl screen saver on the TV. They love that. It works all the time...Shssss there.....
BOB
(wearily)
I had a resignation today of one of my lead engineers. He's probably told some of the team already. I want some new candidate profiles before I arrive to the building in 15 minutes. Who are we partnering with at the moment. It's been a while since I had to do this. What is our number one source for someone from the XP Seamless division.
SU-XSIO
Google.
BOB
What about Yahoo?
SU-XSIO
We've partnered with all the top 4 search engines as well as using our own internal system. There is also the Seamless Elite Community in Ireland and Europe, and there is the XML Resume Bank Forum which we can access for free. Also there is the Lead Software's in MS podcast which we automated last year which we can use. It sends out an hourly feed to pre screened candidates. It's updated every two hours. You can also turn on your own personal community site to take CVs for the role. I'll also put it on your next blog. Have you revised the spec.
BOB
(angrily)
Ok let's use them all. I'll pay for the cost. Course I have. Computer send new job spec to Su-Xsio. By the way what will it cost?
SU-XSIO
It depends what price model you want to use. Do you want to see 1-3-5-10-15-25 or all the candidate profiles that qualify.Or do you want a pay the time to hire price? It's 500 euros a day to offer stage. And a once off 3,000 on hire.
BOB
I'll go for the first option and give me all the qualified candidates you can find. There won't be that many. I want to see what's out there and John is going to hang around for a month so I have a little breathing space.
COMPUTER
Done
SU-XSIO
Ok. I have the spec. I'll have the final price for you before your meeting.
BOB
Great. Please add the relevant screening schema to the RSS feeds that go out. Level 4 screen. Also I want you to add to add to the feed that I will only be taking video link interview with the best 4 candidates. Have the candidates' acceptance criteria and questions sent to me before the interviews. I'll take them on my laptop. Also send a message to the Seamless Leadership alias saying what has happened. And do the usual to let payroll and whoever needs to know, know. When do I have a free 2 hour slot?.
COMPUTER
This Friday at 6pm.
BOB
Ok. I'll do one in the car and the rest at home. Let's go for that. Su-Xsio I want the candidates' profiles on my IPod so I can listen to them when I walk from the car park to the meeting. Hopefully there won't be too many. I only have 20 minutes to listen to them. Sorry I barked a little early. It's just he's a really good guy. I went to college with him
SU-XSIO
No problem. Will that be all?
BOB
Yeah. That's it. If I think of anything else I'll ping you.
SU-XSIO
Tooty butty... See you later.
BOB
....yeah...yeah... see ya.
Bob turns back his music and turns up the volume....as BEAUTIFUL DAY by U2 kicks in...BOB is a little more relaxed and begins to join in the song...
BOB (ctd)
F*ck that, I never really like him anyway...he wanted my job from day one.....................oh yeah....computer....have my Jacuzzi on when I get home at 9pm and open a can of Guinness for me when the car is 5minutes from home.
COMPUTER
You've got it.
