Speaker notes for the 2008 CIPD session

1. CIPD: Harnessing the Power of New Technologies 2008
Over the next few days (and let’s face it on a daily basis) you will hear how we are being shaped by
technological innovation. Processes are being streamlined, businesses made more efficient; traditional
barriers are being removed. The way that we live our lives as human beings is changing. And it can feel
quite overwhelming.
At Hodes, we conduct research all the time which emphasizes just how far this change is going. In the
example here, candidates state that they see the website as a reflection of the individuals they will be
working with. A scary thought for many of us.
But we are getting better at improving the web experience. Even with two disparate examples as these,
conventions in web design mean that the experience of interacting with a website and getting the
information you want is being made easier.
And even when there are contentious issues (such as the loss of control over a brand experience that
many organizations suffer when integrating with third party systems like applicant tracking systems) ,
innovation is reducing their impact.
BUT. This all assumes a linear process in recruitment: organisation needs to fill post; candidate needs
job; candidate visits website and sees job; candidate sends CV; organisation processes CV; candidate is
invited for interview etc. We are starting to see a shift in communication strategy towards the creation
of interactive (i.e. two‐way) experiences and it is in this context that technology is enabling
organisations to rethink the process of candidate acquisition. And we are starting to see a shift in the
way the recruitment process from one‐way push communications into ongoing conversations.
Take this first example: Social Media Marketing is a relatively new discipline whereby organizations
engage with candidates via chat and message boards; initial research from one of the leading
proponents of this discipline (Agency:2 ‐ http://www.agency2.co.uk/ ) indicates that SMM (as it is so
called) can be three times more effective than Pay Per Click. Impressive stuff.
We are also having to think about whether a website is needed at all; when Google has a monopoly on
candidate reach, it is very easy to use freely available tools to convey reams of information about a firm.
At Hodes, we are already using Google Events, Pinpoints, and Gadgets with some of our clients to serve
relevant local information to candidates at very low cost. The benefit to our clients is that we can give
them control over updating this information. No more long drawn out arguments with IT.
Even the attraction process is changing – the traditional approach of uploading a job to a job board
doesn’t really cater for attracting people who might fit your brief, but aren’t in the active job market. So
we are seeing campaigns that are developed around promoting the experiential aspect of working for a
company. The example here shows a Medical Recruitment website (http://www.medrecruit.com/) that
matches user’s lifestyle desires (for example if someone likes surfing and fine dining) with jobs.
The examples here (overleaf) show how organisations are using advertising to create an engaging and
interactive brand experience that tells a user just as much about an organization as any promotional
campaign could. Remember the initial research quote…

2. CIPD: Harnessing the Power of New Technologies 2008
What we are seeing is a shift in power from the organization to the candidate. Take LinkedIn, for
example (http://www.linkedin.com). The site analyses all the information that has been submitted by its
users to create a live window into companies. A candidate can find out basic (but useful information)
like the potential career path, the percentage make up of specific roles, gender split. But what is more
they can look at the CVs of people who have recently joined, or who have been promoted; they can see
what their friends and colleagues are saying about them. In short they can use modern tools to get a
very clear feel of the people they will be working with.
There are reams of research papers that show how online users trust peer to peer information more
than carefully scripted marketing speak. And while HR departments are arguing about whether they
should allow employees to access Facebook, or what the sign off process for Blogs should be, we are
seeing the rise of sites like Glassdoor (http://www.glassdoor.com), where employees can anonymously
submit any information they want. They can rate management, say how much they earn. RBS here gets
a rating of 3.5: nothing surprising. And the first quote from an employee? Well, disparaging as one might
expect. But you know what? There is just as much good, as bad and this is what candidates are looking
for; the ‘warts and all view’ of what they are getting into.
And these behaviours are being rewarded. Ever hear of Zubka (http://www.zubka.com)? This site takes
your internal Refer‐a‐Friend mechanic and goes one stage further. 3rd party recruiters are sharing the
commission they make, by rewarding successful recommendations. In the example here, I could get
£2.5K for successfully referring someone I know to fill a MacAfee post. Easy money. And don’t
underestimate the power of this in the current economic environment. Puts most Refer‐a‐Friend
schemes to shame, doesn’t it…
What we are seeing is a shift to a more fluid recruitment experience. And today we have seen numerous
examples that cover specific aspects of the recruitment funnel. But I want to leave you with a thought
(and it is something that has been echoed in press this week, for those who are interested.) We are
creating a nation of kids who live online – our jobseekers of tomorrow currently work and publish
schoolwork online, they research online, they trade online, they play online and they share their
experiences online. The net sum of their experiences is becoming virtual. And for those of you who feel
that I’m exaggerating the state of progress, here is an example of a site that is already catering for this
transition (www.virtualcv.com)
So, if the recruitment process is shifting to a low cost, just‐in‐time model, that matches the talent you
need with jobs you have available, how are you catering for this? And if you’re not, who is? It isn’t going
to be long before some smart cookie in their bedroom comes up with an algorithm that will enable a
firm to trawl the web to find the right candidate to match your needs. And I’m sure they will sell it at a
hefty price. So why are we waiting?
Feel overwhelmed? At Hodes, we believe that too many people allow technology to drive the brief, not
the other way around and we have a model that allows us to compartmentalise the issues we have
talked about today into manageable chunks. And while much of our work currently sits in the
optimization of web experiences, we are already seeing an increase in the first and last streams.

3. CIPD: Harnessing the Power of New Technologies 2008
I thought I’d share this with you, as our clients have found this a very useful tool for allocating, aligning
and prioritizing issues.
One final thought. I’m sure there will be a lot of talk today about digital natives and Gen Y. But this issue
affects everyone. So I’d like us to open our eyes to a transformation that is social, not technological in
nature and start debating the real issues. Not gadgetry.
Thank you.
ahyatt@hodes.co.uk