On the horizon: door64 Job SWAT

I would like to do something like that it sounds like it would be a good chance for opportunity. I like the idea of matching up with companies first for the best fit locally.

You used the word "call", so I'm guessing you are planning to use a conference-call for the audio.

One crucial factor would be: The management of the conference call. Multi-party calls can get kind of chaotic, and the quality can decline quickly as the number of participants increases.

How are you planning to maintain the quality of the call? Were you thinking of using some kind of conference-call service to help run the call? Maybe you would just have to keep the number of participants small.

It's an interesting idea, though.

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, you're partially correct: it's a webinar...so there's a dial-in number, and the ability to view presentation via your web browser. It's exactly the same as GotoMeeting, if you have used that before.

And I agree - the management of the webinar is crucial. I would be the one conducting it, and would give ~ 5 minutes to the company to review the company and job information, and in the mean time the participants can "raise their hands" via the webinar interface (which is the advantage of using the online webinar interface). I can selectively unmute lines so people who wanted to say something can contribute.

If you have some experience in this area, I'm open to suggestions! I am planning to pilot this with a few employers just to get the process nailed down.

Yes, I've done that. I've frequently participated in webinars that consist of NetMeeting plus-a-conference-call. In the best case, there's a conference-call operator who facilitates the meeting by reminding everyone that they are on "mute", introducing the speaker, and then facilitating questions after the speaker is finished presenting. Additionally, sometimes questions can be asked via text message on NetMeeting or some kind of chat room.

It takes hands-on moderation to make it work. It sounds like you have already thought it through. It should be good.

Do you think you would distribute contact information for the attendees, to the attendees? A contact-list might be an added benefit for all participants.

Good points. Thank you.

Regarding the contact list, my thought was to record and disseminate the slides presentation portion of the webinar, but leave out the after discussion with the participants. That's because I think attendees may object to having their voice recorded (esp. if they're already employed). But the contact information for the company would definitely be disseminated during the short slide presentation.

So you're asking if the attendee contact info can be given to all the attendees? Do you think that would be useful?

Thanks again for the feedback!

Yes, I was wondering if the contact information for all participants would be distributed to all participants.

Certainly I think the presenter would like to have contact information for anyone that participated. And the participants would probably like to have the contact information of the presenter.

It's good to know one's peers, so I think the participants would probably benefit from getting each others' contact info, too.

How do you plan to select the recipients for the APB notice?

The plan so far: I would be scanning the door64 user profiles and the associated Austin High-Tech LinkedIn group. Also would put out the information on my door64 blog and on Twitter.

I think this is a good idea. I have used WebEx and GoToMeeting both, and either one would give you the control you need. One thing I have notice in the "techie" job world, is that the people in the HR organizations feel as though they have to speak in "tech-ese". They tend to use a lot of acronyms and don't disclose earlier on whether it is a hardware or software job. Also, they do not disclose the candidates skill requirements. It causes me to spend more time reviewing the posting and I am certain they get a lot of resumes with unqualified people as a result. The bottom line is I think this idea might educate both parties and that is a good thing.

I think that this idea has lots of merit. If I understand it correctly, its analog in the marketing world is a bidder's conference. The entity releasing a contract invites interested parties to review the draft solicitation and view a presentation of the procurement. The attendees provide feedback, both to improve the solicitation and to give themselves competitive advantage.

In this case, the conference is virtual, but the principle is the same. The real advantage to the hiring company in this situation needs to be the same as a bidder’s conference. Give them visibility to a larger pool of potential candidates and help them filter through that pool to a smaller set of qualified candidates that they can interview. This approach seems to do that.

I think that others have also highlighted several implementation details that need to be worked out, but I think getting this started with a few flaws might be better that trying to do it perfectly. Bidder’s conferences are always valuable, even when they have problems.

Thanks everyone for the comments. I had not heard of a bidders' conference, so thank you for the reference. Indeed it sounds like it has analogous benefits.

It sounds like you have been involved with these conferences. Do you have any tips (esp. regarding presentation of the information) that could be carried over to our activity? I want to make sure participants have all (and only) the data they need to make a decision (either to apply themselves, or to pass along through their network).

Thanks again.

I think your biggest hurdle is going to be dealing with companies that do not know what they want. The second biggest will be the companies who are quite happy to ask for the unreasonable such as one person with expertise in multiple careers.

About the hurdles...
* companies that do not know what they want
* companies [that] ask for the unreasonable

Yes, I agree those are some rather notorious problems. And I think it would be a nice form of public service (and possibly a little entertaining) to delve into such job descriptions in this "SWAT Team" environment. There's a chance of turning one ridiculous description into two or three reasonable ones.

@csg2 -- yes, quite possibly. And regarding your first point, I think FranzW is correct: we'll be giving immediate feedback so the job description reflects what they're actually recruiting for.

It's going to be an iterative process. I'm looking to pilot my first one of these sessions soon.

Any thoughts about effective ways to get the word out about these live Job SWAT webinars? E.g. post it on door64, or on door64's Twitter feed, or by other means? The plan currently is to research on door64 & the LinkedIn group, and invite specific people who seem relevant. However, it would also be helpful for people see the information & request to participate.

I agree with the assessments about the hurdles. I think that those companies will always exist, but I don't think that door64 should worry about them; it should focus on helping the reasonable companies connect with top candidates.

In response to Matt's question about tips from bidder's conferences, I can think of three immediately:

1) Ask the companies to provide what the candidate's job function will be, not just a list of required and desired skills and qualifications. Too often, companies don't do this, but it helps candidates understand why skill "XYZ" is needed. Well-run bidder's conferences always address the end result desired, not just the request for proposal.

2) Request that someone knowledgeable about the position be involved in the webinar. A hiring manager is ideal, but someone working the project will do. Some recruiters know enough about the projects they are hiring for, but many do not. At bidder's conferences, someone intimately involved in preparing the solicitation is always present, even if they are not one of the decision makers.

3) Make sure that the company is prepared to answer questions that address areas of real flexibility in the position's requirements. For example, some requirements are driven by the contract (degrees and other credentials), while others are the preference of the hiring manager. As a hiring manager, I often started with requiring a hard technical Bachelor's degree (BSEE or BSCSE) for many of my openings. I did not do this because someone with the right experience but without the specific degree could not do the work. On the contrary, I did it because it made it easier for the recuiter, and I knew that the probability of finding someone who could do the work was higher if they had the degree. However, when a particularly sharp candidate without the requisite degree crossed my desk, I was flexible enough to consider them if someone was thoughtful enough to ask the question. Typically, these candidates came from my network, people who knew the work I needed to get done and who knew a sharp candidate.

I hope this helps.

@AGPonce Excellent feedback. Thank you very much; this is a big help.

Matt. I didn't read the whole post because my 5 yr old wanted me to read something he wrote. It made no sense. But I loved it. I love your idea too! I'll be at the first webinar, unless my kids bog me down. J

I am very interested in Job SWAT and feel it will be an effective means to share more accurate information from both the hiring company and the candidates. I feel this is an excellent approach to successfully connecting companies with multiple, pre-qualified candidates.

I agree the bidders conference approach is a great guideline and all 3 of AGPonce’s tips are extremely beneficial. I do feel providing suggested categories or areas to address could be helpful to companies who may have difficulties with effective descriptions. Categories or areas could include requirements and expectations of multiple reports within the company and of the customer(s) when applicable, as well as specific activities required to perform the position and how success will be measured. Even companies who feel their descriptions are sufficient can benefit from such suggestions by considering information they have not considered to include, which may result in improved pre-qualified candidates participating in their webinar.

I personally would find it beneficial to share my contact information with both the hiring company and the other webinar participants. I do however understand that all candidates may not be comfortable providing their contact information to all participants due to their currently employment situation. This of course can easily be resolved by providing contact sharing options for participants and offering a confidential means of asking and responding to questions, such as text.

I am new to Door64 and just learning the tools available for networking and career growth. The Job SWAT is an innovative instrument that is not available from the many other sources for networking and career development. It has enticed me to prioritize completing my profile over my other activities? I look forward to becoming more involved and meeting professionals who share my interests.