I recently read an article about how awful Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are and how difficult it is to find candidates in those systems. My first thought was, “Maybe the searcher is not doing it correctly or wasn’t trained thoroughly.” Sure. That could be it. Or perhaps the ATS really is awful. However, more often than not, finding candidates in any ATS could be a challenge simply due to user error during data entry. I know documentation and data entry is no fun. Raise your hand if you enjoy it … I’ll wait. That’s what I thought. I’m sure there are those out there who really do like it, but I’m betting they are not recruiters.
I recall one of my employees saying they didn’t have time to enter much candidate information since placing them took higher priority. I agree to that last part – as a recruiter, making a placement is your ultimate goal. But where has quality and due diligence gone? Isn’t it true a database is only as good as its data (remember “garbage in, garbage out”)? How many other placements did that recruiter miss out on due to failing to enter a candidate’s information correctly? Misspelled names, incorrect categorization, forgetting to attach a resume, failing to input contact information, etc., can all cost that recruiter a placement. These mistakes can also cost the recruiter’s coworkers, and ultimately their candidates and hiring managers. There’s nothing worse than finding an A+ candidate, and then discovering there’s no way to contact that person. (OK, lots of things are worse, but you get my point.)
Everyone makes mistakes. I have. You have. It’s understandable and expected since no one’s perfect. But there’s never an excuse for apathy or laziness. When I was a teenager, I was responsible for kitchen duty after dinner. I remember my dad would sometimes drag me out of bed at night to make me wipe up the kitchen counters properly since I had clearly hurried through the cleaning process. All the while he would tell me to, “Do things right the first time.” I hated that, thought he was being “so mean” (muttered under my breath, of course), and didn’t understand why he didn’t just do it for me. I get it now. By taking that extra couple of minutes to do things right, I could have saved myself a lot of time and energy and prevented some headaches for those around me. More importantly, I would have learned the value of responsibility, diligence and quality work. I later did, mind you, but it would have been better to have learned it with a good night’s rest!
I recall one of my employees saying they didn’t have time to enter much candidate information since placing them took higher priority. I agree to that last part – as a recruiter, making a placement is your ultimate goal. But where has quality and due diligence gone? Isn’t it true a database is only as good as its data (remember “garbage in, garbage out”)? How many other placements did that recruiter miss out on due to failing to enter a candidate’s information correctly? Misspelled names, incorrect categorization, forgetting to attach a resume, failing to input contact information, etc., can all cost that recruiter a placement. These mistakes can also cost the recruiter’s coworkers, and ultimately their candidates and hiring managers. There’s nothing worse than finding an A+ candidate, and then discovering there’s no way to contact that person. (OK, lots of things are worse, but you get my point.)
Everyone makes mistakes. I have. You have. It’s understandable and expected since no one’s perfect. But there’s never an excuse for apathy or laziness. When I was a teenager, I was responsible for kitchen duty after dinner. I remember my dad would sometimes drag me out of bed at night to make me wipe up the kitchen counters properly since I had clearly hurried through the cleaning process. All the while he would tell me to, “Do things right the first time.” I hated that, thought he was being “so mean” (muttered under my breath, of course), and didn’t understand why he didn’t just do it for me. I get it now. By taking that extra couple of minutes to do things right, I could have saved myself a lot of time and energy and prevented some headaches for those around me. More importantly, I would have learned the value of responsibility, diligence and quality work. I later did, mind you, but it would have been better to have learned it with a good night’s rest!
In the grown-up world, I’m not sure when these traits began taking a back seat to sheer expediency, but I sure wish they would return. Yes, speed matters in the fast-paced world of today, but sometimes the best way to beat your competition is to slow down and focus on quality vs. quantity. Since we’ve all seen quality and excellence diminish in many of today’s products and services, perhaps by focusing on these you’ll be the one who stands out to your customers and ultimately gain more business. In the words of legendary basketball coach, Bobby Knight, and my dad, “Learn to do things right and then do them right every time.” Truly words to live by.
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