The New Kid on the Block

I've been researching social media for my recruitment team. Last year we implemented an ats (Taleo) and now that we have such an awesome tool I think our recruiters are ready and eager to jump into the world of recruitment technology.

I am our Taleo System Administrator so it seemed like a natural project for me to accept - with the help of my good friend and colleague.

We've been exploring tools that both of us use for personal reasons (Myspace, Facebook, Bloggings) and changing our framework to see them as professional tools as well.

It's an interesting transition - I am used to blogging about my travels, my thoughts and really nothing too important at all. I am used to posting all of my silly crazy pictures on facebook and myspace. Twitter felt like just another way to blast your (often silly and/or useless thoughts) to your closest friends and strangers.

But, I've been really impressed by how organizations are using these tools as part of their brand strategy. This must mean that I'm a huge dork - but it is kind of exciting to see the creative ways these companies are using social media to reach a broader audience.

I'm exploring the professional world of social media and I am definitely enjoying the adventure. I had stumbled upon recruitment blogs a few times in my research (for both my masters degree and for work related assignments) and really enjoyed reading the members blogs.

I figured I'd give it a shot. So - I'm the new kid. :-)

Next Post >

Comment by Steve Levy on March 29, 2009 at 7:12am: What you'll find over the longer run with the ramblings of renegade recruiter is that the edgier ones are about two years ahead of the non-recruiting masses when identifying and using new ideas. This is why the news is all a-Twitter and we've been using this stuff for far longer.

There are people 'round here like Dennis Smith and Ben Gotkin who are even that much more along in that strategies have already been developed and implemented. The 360 interactive space has now latched onto social medial to sell product but we've already tested and are now swimming in these waters.

So how's this for an idea New Kid... let your blog here detail your travel into the social media space: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It should make for an interesting read...

Comment by Veronica A on March 29, 2009 at 12:41pm: Thanks for your comment Steve - that is a great idea! Thanks for the encouragement and hopefully I can keep you entertained.

Comment by Jake Wyant on March 30, 2009 at 3:25pm: Veronica - what do you like most about Taleo? My company is looking at a new ATS right now as well - and none of us on our team has really heard anything about what tools are available right now. Biggest concerns to us right now are Usabilty, searching capabilities, communication capabilities, and reporting.

I would love to hear more about Taleo and why it is going to kick your team into gear.

-Jake

Comment by Veronica A on March 30, 2009 at 4:33pm: Rayanee- Thanks for the welcome! And, I am learning that as my boss opens these sites up for me to use at work (for research) my clock is ticking way faster than ever.

Comment by Veronica A on March 30, 2009 at 4:39pm: Jake - I love the taleo system. We did a rfp and narrowed it down to a three firms but at the end of the day Taleo seemed like the Cadillac. Then, a few weeks into our implementation Taleo purchased Vurv (our second choice) so we were much more confident we selected the right system.

I think that usability is the key asset of Taleo. It is a very simple tool to use for managers, recruiters, candidates and even system administrators. But, you can't let its simplicity fool you - it is a VERY powerful complex system. Also, they are releasing Taleo 8 in August and it is super sexy. A lot of the complaints or gripes that our recruiters and managers have about Taleo 7.5 seem to be fixed in 8.

The thing with Taleo is that they seem to be a SME on ATS and you can tell because they are constantly upgrading, updating and listening to their customer base. They seem fairly responsive in terms of what the overall industry is requiring of ATS'.

Their reporting and analytics tool is very powerful as well.

Searching and communication is a breeze. Taleo 8 makes it even easier.

Feel free to e-mail at weikafei@gmail.com with more questions. I am very passionate about this ATS and I could go on and on and on. :-)