The Recruiting Process
Recruiting is an ongoing project management cycle. Each candidate on every job is has a very specific roadmap, and there is a process to it. I want to break this down for job seekers because of ALL the confusion out there about what recruiters do (and don’t do).
There are three major elements to the bulk of recruiting.
Candidate Management: Incoming/Outbound Search
Account Management (Hiring Managers)
Interviewing/closing
I want to focus on candidate management, because that is where the bulk of misinformation I see out in the world affects job seekers. There are two basic types of candidates (from the recruiter side)
INCOMING: apply directly to a role, referrals of some sort
OUTBOUND SEARCH: recruiters actively LOOK for candidates in various ways
Why am I focusing on this? Because my head is SPINNING with all the BS about “algorithms” and “bots” keeping APPLICANTS “away” from the view of recruiters. I’ve written multiple articles about the mythical “bots” and their supposed power over my work load, and lately it is the “algorithms” that are shunting your resume off somewhere in the cloud.
So, I am going to reiterate REALITY for direct applicants to any job via an ATS: ALL APPLICANTS on all ALL ROLES are visible to a recruiter as soon as you apply. That is for LEGAL REASONS.
Now, let’s chat about “knock out questions” and the misinterpretation of BOTS (and I’m going to reference you to my multiple articles on “bots”, above).
-Knockout questions are devised and enabled BY THE RECRUITER on a specific job. They are typically “yes/no” questions having to do with qualifications. I usually use delivery drivers for this example, let’s go with pizza.
Are you a licensed driver?
Do you have access to an insured vehicle?
Do you live within range of the store for which you are applying?
If you answer NO to any of these questions, you are not qualified.
That means the recruiter most likely isn’t going to consider you for the role, but they can still SEE YOUR APPLICATION.
That’s it. No esoteric AI involved.
So let’s talk about actively SEARCHING for candidates, usually via a database of some kind. This could be our own ATS for people that have previously applied to the company (and there are even software utilities for that); it could be via LinkedIn Recruiter; it could be a job board resume database like Monster or Indeed. For this effort, recruiters are going to write what is called a Boolean Search (btw this is the EXACT same technology YOU use when you are “Googling” information). THIS is based on keywords — functional skills and qualifications like certifications or education. THIS is a search algorithm. It isn’t AI, it’s just a straight search. That’s it. What DOES happen is that results are returned *stack ranked* based on how closely the keywords match.
But this is only relevant in OUTBOUND SEARCH.
I also want to talk about the LinkedIn quick apply API. This is something that LinkedIn offers, it is completely separate from the ATS at the other end. It is an option that employers can turn on if they so choose. But because it is from a 3rd party (LinkedIn) there is *no guarantee* that your “quick apply” will actually connect with the ATS on the other end. I — and every recruiter (except for those working AT LinkedIn) will recommend you apply directly on the employer’s website. It is the only way to make sure you are applying directly to an OPEN job, with the correct information (document). It takes about 60 seconds of extra work, but it guarantees that your resume is being attached correctly to the right role.
The last thing I want to broach is job descriptions; they are written/approved by *hiring managers*, not recruiters. Recruiters will almost always try and make sure hiring managers are being realistic and asking for the LOWEST level and skillset that the position could manage, but ultimately it is the HIRING MANAGER who makes the final call. (I wrote this article that addresses the approval process as well as the anatomy of the interview process.)
If you have questions or concerns about the ATS, I guarantee you your best bet for information is going to be recruiters or the actual product companies that sell Applicant Tracking Systems (I would search for “product managers” or sales or “solutions architects” if you really want to go to the *actual* source).
