When filling jobs, most employers just ask their best employees if they know anyone suitable.
Large companies have official programs that pay thousands of dollars for referrals.
These programs exist, because a strong recommendation from a guy who know is good is worth a thousand BS interviews.
That’s how I got back in the workforce, albeit at a significantly lower rate. Nobody wants an older (50+) person anymore . . .
“These programs exist, because a strong recommendation from a guy who know is good is worth a thousand BS interviews.”
Actually the problem is that when this occurs, the applicant is still asked to submit a resume. And herein lies the problem.
Companies like Taleo have produced software to make choices about applicants easier. What this has done is taken the “thought process” away from the HR rep and given it to a resume query which is looking for job description matches.
Resumes no longer have personalities. People no longer have personalities. What we are is a selection based on a set of criteria which actually makes it harder for an organization to hire someone.
Big deal a thousand people apply for a job. They have been doing that for years. Software cannot determine how you successfully handled a project. Software cannot determine how you handled a specific situation. Basically software doesn’t look past the first 500 words.
If you are fortunate enough to get past all of this and get the job, only one thing needs to be asked. Are you a US citizen? And that is more for taxation purposes than anything else. Every other question is irrelevant.
Often times to avoid potentially tens of thousands for a headhunter. The previous place I worked refused to pay the 25% commission the headhunters wanted and would only pay 20% maximum. That meant that everyone the headhunters sent to us had already been through all of his good customers at least once and we got the leftovers, so we ended up doing most hiring from employee recommendations and walk-ins without headhunters.