enhancing your recruiting and staffing efforts with technical recruiter associations

LNHANCING YOUR RECRUITING AND STAFFING EFFORTS WITH TECHNICAL RECRUITER ASSOCIATIONS

Nancy A. Hopkins and Charles Conlin

Nancy A. Hopkins is a senior data-processing employment specialist at the Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City. She is responsible for developing and implementing annual recruitment and selection strategies for all data-processing professionals. She is MSKCC’s advertising coordinator and also serves on several project teams working on the automation of MSKCC’s Employment Department, including an automated applicant tracking system, document imaging, and document- management strategies. She is a founding member of the New York Technical Recruiters Association (NYTRA) and served as the association’s president for five years. Charles (Chip) Conlin is a senior recruiter for MTA Metro-North Railroad (an agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority) in New York City. He is responsible for staffing key management and technical posjtions in information systems. Through his recruiting efforts, he has helped facilitate IS’S integration of its mainframe environment with a newer PC- based technology. He also plays a key role in staffing management, professional, and union positions within other departments of the railroad. Previously, he worked as an HR generalist for two major financial institutions. He is co-president of NYTRA and is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management, the International Association of Career Management Professionals, and The Five O’clock Club, a job- search strategy group.

echnical recruiter associations (TRAs) have sprung up in various areas of the country to provide a forum for human T resources professionals involved in hiring information sys-

tems (IS) professionals to share ways to recruit and retain IS professionals in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In view of the current, rapidly changing economy, the timing of the forma- tion of these associations in terms of their value to their members could not be better.

Current market trends indicate that the demand for technical people, IS professionals in particular, will increase at a rate exceed- ing the availability of individuals who possess the technical skills needed to perform highly complex jobs. To compete for the limited number of people with the skills needed to fill these positions, technical recruiters will need to be even more creative and re- sourceful in their recruiting efforts.

Concurrent with this trend is the spiraling effect on salaries for IS professionals. An example of this is the current demand for mainframe programmers needed to resolve year 2000 computer conver- sion problems. The annual salaries of these individuals are increasing, and many of them have turned to consulting so that they may command a considerably higher hourly compensation rate. Technical recruiters, therefore, must select higher-paid candidates from a limited pool of skilled individuals and at the same time deal with real salary-compression issues within their own IS departments. More- over, in the context of HR departments that are increasingly under pressure to source and recruit employees on a low-fee or no-fee basis, these obstacles can seem almost insurmountable.

THE VALUE OF TECHNICAL RECRUITER ASSOCIATIONS Technical recruiter associations can help recruiters deal with

recruitment crises through an array of networking possibilities, sharing of open jobs, and other programs to assist their members in meeting difficult and challenging recruiting needs. To assess these needs, the authors of this article sent out a questionnaire to TRAs across the nation. The results are shared in this article.

Employment Relations Today Spring 1998 23 CCC 0745-7790/98/250123-08 63 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


The survey results indicated that the primary objective for members participating in technical recruiter associations is to reduce the cost of hiring high-tech professionals. Because agency/search-firm fees are in excess of 25 to 30 percent of an IS professional’s annual salary, budgets would be exceeded quickly by relying on agencies alone. Newspaper advertising costs have also increased at a record rate. For example, a member of the New York Technical Recruiters Association (NYTRA) reports that between 1990 and 1995 the advertising costs in a local paper increased by 43 percent.

Survey respondents also listed identifying and retaining qualified IS professionals as their other objectives in participating in TRAs. Technical recruiter associations provide opportunities to network with other technical recruiters, which is a proven way to find skilled candidates in a cost-effective manner. Also, TRAs formalize the networking process and facilitate information sharing. Technical recruiter associations are currently located in Min- nesota, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Boston, and New York City, and others are emerging in Florida and Toronto. (See the profile of currently existing TRAs in Exhibit 1.)

The associations are very similar in their efforts to serve their members. Primarily through monthly meetings, members learn about what other members do for their corporations, the different technologies that exist in HR/employment departments, and the general differences/similarities in functions among their HR/ employment departments. Although there are essential elements of a technical recruiter’s job that are relevant to all, as indicated in the survey, for members who do corporate techhical recruiting, there are other duties and responsibilities of the recruiter’s job that are very specific to a particular corporation. For example, at the 128/495 HR Collective based in the Boston area, some members are vice presidents or directors of their companies and have far broader generalist roles and responsibilities.

Technical recruiting associations also afford members opportunities to learn what they need to do to stay competitive in the marketplace. For example, members can learn by networking with each other to determine to what extent a corporation down the street is offering their new hires sign-on bonuses, stock options, enhanced benefits, tuition reimbursement, flexible hours, and everyday “dress down.’’ One member of the New York Technical Recruiters Associa- tion faces the difficulty that his company, which is government subsidized, cannot offer sign-on bonuses and certain other incentives offered by companies in the private sector even though his company is competitive on starting salaries.

All TRA’s responding to the survey indicated that in addition

TRAS formalize the neworking process and faciiitate information sharing.

24 Spring 1998 Employment Relations Today

Enhancing Your Recruiting and Staffing Efforts with Technical Recruiter Associations

Exhibit 1

Profile of Technical Recruiter Associations

Regional New York Chicago Southwest Minnesota Chicago Houston Technical Technical 128/495 HR High-Tech Technical Technical High-Tech Recruiters Recruiters Collective Co-op Recruiters Recruiters Recruiters

Association Network (Boston) (Dallas) Network Association Network

Membership 70 600 50-60 200+ 400 120 15( Size

~ ~~ ~~

Dues no $60 $100 no Yes $400 nc (lifetime) (annually)

Years in 5 12 6 13 4 1 t Existence

Frequency 6 per year quarterly monthly quarterly 6 per year 9 per year monthl! of Meetings

Members: both corporate both both both both botl Corporate1 (90/10 (50/50 (10/90 (40/61 Consulting distribution) distribution) distribution) distribution Firms

% of Membership 35% 30% 50-60% 20-40% 30% 80% 75% Attending Meetings

Members’ HR 10 2-20 5-25 0-25 (nodata 2 5 Experience (average) available) (average) (average) (Yrs.)

Members’ 9 8 5-25 5 (nodata 2 5 Technical (average) (average) (average) available) (average) (average) Recruiting Experience (Yrs.)

Association no Yes no Yes Yes no Yes Web Site

Employment Relations Today Spring 1998 25


Members discuss and share information on matters that are relevant to their day- to-day business tasks as well as their professional de welopment.

to formal meetings, parties were planned as well. The informal gatherings add a lighter side to their activities and another dimen- sion to networking.

INFORMATION EXCHANGE One of the most valuable benefits derived from association

meetings is that members discuss and share information on matters that are relevant to their day-to-day business tasks as well as their professional development.

Recruitment Sources

cussed, such as: All available recruiting sources and related issues are dis-

0 Job Fairs. Which job fairs attract the best quality candidates? How many hires have companies recruited from certain fairs? A member can always call up another member to get input on fairs that they may not have previously attended. Members also learn techniques on how to effectively utilize their resources at job fairs. Some members always bring their technical managers to job fairs so they can hold technical interviews with potential candidates right on the spot. The Chicago Technical Recruiters Network coordi- nates its job fairs through a third-party service, whereas other smaller associations such as the 128/495 HR Collec- tive in Boston coordinate their own job fairs.

0 Advertising in Newspapers and Trade Publications. Which newspapers or trade publications are providing the best leads to qualified candidates? What section or time of the year is best for advertising? All of the associations surveyed reported that their members make use of print advertising for their corporations.

0 Advertising on the Internet. Do sources like CareerMosaic and MonsterBoard, which are paid advertising sources on the Internet, work? Are they cost-effective? If you don’t advertise on the Internet, will your corporation be viewed as being less attractive to high-tech candidates? With re- spect to free advertising sources on the Internet, such as advertising through user-group home pages, how do you find out about these sources and how do you post jobs or advertisements through them? The majority of associations surveyed have their own Web pages for communicat- ing open positions, and thus take advantage of on-line services to enhance their recruiting efforts.

0 College Recruiting. This activity may involve in-person in-



Recruitment tools are offen hot topics of conversation in networking meetings.

0

0

terviews at colleges; attending college job fairs; attending college events; posting jobs on-line (e.g., an on-line service called JOBTRACK currently posts positions among a con- sortiumof over 700 to 800 colleges and universities through- out the United States); sponsoring internships; and finding out what colleges to contact for certain degrees or skills. Agencies. Corporations use agencies for hard-to-fill jobs. Members can learn about which agencies specialize in particular technical skills of candidates and whether they produce quality candidates. Employee Referral Programs. What do companies pay for referrals, and for what types of positions? Do companies have special campaigns? Do they pay in cash, gifts, or trips? The New York Technical Recruiters Association found out that one corporation gives $4,000 for each employee referral hired and then puts the names of all the employees who referred candidates that were hired into a raffle drawing that takes place at the end of the year. The prize is a Mercedes Benz!

Recruitment Tools

working meetings and include the following: Recruitment tools are often hot topics of conversation in net-

0 E-mail. Discussions revolve around the necessity of having an e-mail address and the impact that it may have on recruiting efforts. The benefit of e-mail as a recruiting tool is that within a couple of minutes one can receive an e-mail from a candidate and send it via e-mail to the hiring managers, who can then respond quickly. Theoretically, a recruiter can respond to the candidate within minutes, no matter where the candidate is located. All the associations surveyed use e-mail to communicate among their own members, and a number of members’ companies use e- mail in their recruiting efforts.

0 Skills-Testing Systems. Many corporations are concerned about the cost of testing each applicant that comes in to be interviewed. To reduce the time that technical staff must spend on meeting all candidates, skills-testing systems are being used by employment departments to screen applicants before being interviewed by department hiring managers. Both the New York Technical Recruiters Association and the 128/495 HR Collective in Boston have had guest speakers discuss skills-testing systems and their cost-effectiveness at their meetings.



T h e annual growth rate among these associations has been between 20 and 50 percent.

0 Applicant Tracking Systems. Applicant tracking systems and work-flow issues are always points of interest for recruiters. Recruiters are always interested in the best systems available for their companies. Questions arise over how companies have reengineered their work-flow processes before or while installing systems. What problems do they encounter with them? Does every corporation need an applicant tracking system? Through our survey, we found that most TRAs are discussing these issues and sharing their results.

MEMBERSHIP With help from the Chicago Technical Recruiters Network, the

New York Technical Recruiters Association and other TRAs started forming their associations within the last ten years. Some, like the Minnesota, Boston, and Toronto TRAs were started as a result of the efforts of a few technical recruiters in those respective areas. The annual growth rate among these associations has been between 20 and 50 percent, with one regional Chicago TRA currently showing a 100 percent annual growth rate. A majority of the associations surveyed have memberships that are primarily made up of individuals who work for corporations, but each association also has members who work for consulting firms.

Based on our survey, association members are, for the most part, seasoned recruiters, having technical recruiting experience ranging from 2 to 25 years.

COMMONLY SCHEDULED AGENDA ITEMS The Chicago Technical Recruiters Network and the Southwest

High-Tech Co-op based in Dallas were the first associations to formally organize their efforts over 12 years ago. Since that time, approximately one dozen associations have sprung up through- out the United States, with one known association in Toronto, Canada. Of those associations surveyed, most hold meetings that are very similar in format and content, with topics ranging from the escalating salaries among IS professionals, to retention, immigration, and interviewing techniques. Some common agenda items at these meetings include:

0 Guest Members and Speaks. All of the TRAs surveyed reported that they have guest speakers attend meetings. Guest speakers are typically invited through the association’s professional development committee, board members, or, in the case of the Southwest High-Tech Co-op, the president. Ex- amples of guest speakers are representatives from vendor

28 Spring 7 998 Employment Relations Today


A member of the South west High-Tech Co-op (Dallas) indicated a savings of $250,000 in one year.

0

0

companies or professional associations that provide train- ing and/or development opportunities for members and their companies. The 128/495 HR Collective in Boston had a representative from Restrac, a firm that sells an applicant- tracking system, make a presentation at one of their association meetings. Visit Other Members’ Companies. All but one of the TRAs surveyed visit their members’ companies so they can get a first-hand look at how other HR departments are structured. These visits provide members with the opportunity to see what types of technologies are being utilized by corporations, to see the physical setup of each HR/employment facility, as well as to discuss work-flow issues. Networking and Resume Exchange. Virtually all of the TRAs surveyed use their meetings to network and exchange resumes. During this portion of the meetings, members share the resumes of applicants whom they feel would be of interest to other members within their respective associations. It should be noted that all of the associations exchange resumes only with the applicants’ permission. An applicant’s permission must be obtained to refer his or her resume to another recruiter because applicants have a right to know which recruiters or corporations may be considering them. The New York Technical Recruiters Association has a job coordinator who facilitates all resume exchanges at meetings and ensures ha t the appropriate permissions have been obtained.

Based on our survey results, most TRAs include the following topics at their meetings: salary issues; immigration issues; corporate downsizing; forming relationships with user groups; retention issues; reference checking; and interviewing techniques. Other topics discussed at meetings (and mentioned previously) are incentives to hire and retain; bonuses; profit sharing; benefits; noncash incentives; telecommuting; vacation allotments; flexible work hours; dress-down days; and tuition reimbursement.

CONCLUSION It is difficult to put a precise figure on the cost savings members

have realized for their corporations through their affiliation with a TRA. The Chicago Technical Recruiters Network indicated that a company of one of its members saved $400,000 in recruiting fees within a one-year period; a member of the Southwest High-Tech Co-op (Dallas) indicated a savings of $250,000 in one year.

With the increasingly competitive marketplace for IS professionals, it is evident that the information members share has had



a positive impact on how they, as technical recruiters, can compete for the best talent in an atmosphere of cooperativeness and helpful- ness. Although the 1281495 HR Collective in Boston could not put a dollar figure on any of its members’ individual cost savings, it was determined that their members on average were able to hire from two to six people annually through the association’s networking efforts.

The ability to maximize effectiveness in the marketplace is key to both recruiting and retaining IS professionals. Through the sharing of information, association members become more effective in their jobs and have a value-added effect on their corporations. Whether it is sharing open jobs, keeping abreast of new technologies, utilizing various recruiting strategies, or having discussions with guest speakers, members and their IS departments are always involved with the next level of technical recruiting. +


enhancing your recruiting and staffing efforts with technical recruiter associations

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