Experience recruiting VAs

Seeking Insights on Hiring Virtual Assistants

Hello everyone!

I’ve been running my own recruitment business for three years now and I’ve seen some success. I’m at a point where I’m ready to pursue further growth.

I’ve heard a lot about hiring VAs, particularly from South Africa, for candidate outreach and I’m curious to know more about it.

Has anyone here had any experience with this?

I have a few questions:
– How do you find a reliable VA?
– What is a reasonable salary to offer?
– What strategies do you use to get them familiar with UK recruitment practices?
– Do you provide any specific tools or software to assist them?

Any advice or insights from those who have navigated this process would be incredibly helpful!

Thank you!

Largest pain impacting recruiters and candidates?

What’s the biggest challenge facing recruiters and candidates?

Hello everyone,

I’m conducting some market research and would love to hear your thoughts!

What are the most significant pain points you’re experiencing in your job search or hiring process?

From my perspective:

For candidates: It’s often the frustrating candidate experience, like poor hiring procedures or biased recruiting practices. Does this resonate with you job seekers?

For recruiters: Is retention your primary challenge? And do you find yourself sifting through many irrelevant applications for your roles?

Thanks for your input!

The Cost of Poor Hiring in AI: How to Make Better Staffing Decisions

The Cost of Poor Hiring in AI: Strategies for Better Staffing Decisions

The Importance of Hiring the Right AI Talent

As the field of artificial intelligence expands and transforms various industries, the competition for skilled AI professionals is intensifying. Organizations recognize that a poor hiring choice can result in significant financial, operational, and reputational repercussions. Insufficiently equipped AI teams can lead to resource misallocation, project delays, and even ethical dilemmas. To navigate these challenges, many companies are turning to specialized AI staffing solutions and recruitment firms, which help identify candidates with the necessary technical expertise, experience, and cultural compatibility to optimize AI investments.

The Unseen Costs of Subpar AI Hiring

Financial Repercussions

Hiring the wrong AI professional incurs considerable costs. Expenses related to re-recruiting, extensive training, and lost productivity during the transition can escalate quickly. By collaborating with an AI recruitment agency, organizations can minimize these costs by securing highly qualified candidates early in the process and avoiding hiring errors.

Impact on Project Outcomes

A misfit in an AI role can significantly derail project timelines and budgets. If an AI team lacks essential skills, delays and budget overruns become inevitable. AI recruitment agencies facilitate the hiring process, ensuring that organizations acquire the right talent in a timely manner. With appropriately skilled AI professionals on board, projects are more likely to remain on track, within scope, and within budget.

Disruption to Team Dynamics and Brand Perception

Incorrect AI hires can disturb team harmony, leading to conflicts, reduced performance, and a detrimental workplace atmosphere. Additionally, such hires can tarnish a company’s reputation. AI recruitment agencies aim to find candidates not only with the required skill sets but also those who align well with the company’s culture. Leveraging an AI staffing agency helps mitigate the risk of team disruptions, safeguarding both workplace morale and company image.

Reasons Behind Poor Hiring Decisions

Ambiguous Role Definitions

Vague or poorly written job descriptions create confusion for candidates and can result in mismatched hires. When expectations are unclear, finding candidates with the right qualifications becomes challenging. AI recruitment agencies assist in refining job roles, ensuring that each listing accurately reflects the skills required. Collaborating with AI staffing agencies enhances communication and improves overall hiring quality.

Inefficient Screening Methods

Inadequate screening processes often overlook critical technical qualifications, leading to the hiring of unqualified candidates. Professional AI recruitment agencies employ advanced evaluation tools and methodologies to thoroughly assess candidates. Their expertise allows them to identify top talent, minimizing the chances of hiring mishaps.

Time Constraints on Hiring Managers

Hiring under pressure often results in rushed decisions, causing key qualifications or compatibility aspects to be overlooked. When companies need to fill positions quickly, they risk opting for less-than-ideal candidates. Partnering with an AI recruitment firm accelerates the hiring process by providing pre-screened, qualified candidates, allowing organizations to meet their staffing needs without sacrificing quality.

Strategies for Making Better Staffing Choices

Clearly Define Skill Requirements

Detailed and specific job descriptions are essential for attracting the right AI candidates. Ambiguity in job postings can result in hiring mismatches. AI staffing agencies assist in creating skill-based profiles that align with the specific needs of the position, significantly enhancing the hiring process.

Implement Comprehensive Skill Assessments

Thorough technical evaluations are crucial for filtering out unqualified candidates. AI recruiting firms utilize advanced tools and techniques to accurately assess the technical skills of candidates. By conducting rigorous tests and interviews, these agencies ensure that only the most qualified professionals are selected.

Collaborate with an AI Recruitment Agency

Working with an AI recruiting firm can significantly reduce the time spent on hiring. These agencies have vast networks and streamlined processes to quickly identify and place top talent. By partnering with them, companies can expedite hiring, enhance candidate quality, and lower overall hiring costs.

Long-Term Benefits of Hiring the Right Talent

Recruiting the right AI talent is not just about immediate needs; it is a long-term investment. Skilled AI professionals foster innovation, leading to the development of new products and services that drive business growth and maintain competitive advantages. A strong AI team also contributes to the overall workforce by sharing knowledge and helping current employees upskill. AI staffing agencies are instrumental in guiding companies toward sound hiring decisions that ensure long-term success and sustainability.

Embrace Smarter AI Hiring Strategies

The potential consequences of poor AI hires are substantial, ranging from wasted resources to reputational damage. By adopting smarter hiring practices through AI staffing solutions, organizations can steer clear of these pitfalls. Collaborating with an AI recruitment agency grants access to pre-screened, qualified professionals, enhancing the hiring process and ensuring optimal return on investment.

Recruitment leaders, what are your average desk costs?

Attention recruitment leaders! What are your average desk costs? I’m interested in exploring the variations in these figures. It’s evident that there’s a delicate balance between achieving a solid ROI on premium tools and technology while keeping overhead expenses to a minimum.

ATS softwares vs GenAI

ATS Software vs. GenAI: A Comparison

I’d love to hear your thoughts on a few key points:

1) Effectiveness
2) Pricing

In my view, the effectiveness of GenAI is clear—it outperforms traditional ATS in analyzing resumes due to its ability to handle multiple formats and eliminate technical barriers. But do you believe that pricing could be a potential drawback?

Additionally, could anyone provide a rough comparison of the costs associated with conventional ATS software versus GenAI for scanning 1,000 resumes? Your insights would be greatly appreciated!

Truly inclusive hiring

Inclusive Hiring Practices

Hi everyone! I’m new here and wanted to reach out with a few questions for the community.

I’m based in London, where we’ve made significant progress in diverse and inclusive hiring, particularly in my sector, which focuses on entry-level positions.

My colleague and I are committed to developing the most genuinely inclusive recruitment and hiring practices possible. We’re currently piloting several initiatives, including:

• Streamlining the hiring process to just two stages: a cover statement submission followed by an in-person or remote interview with the employer.

• Hosting informational sessions for candidates, where employers share insights about the role and the organization, followed by a Q&A session.

• Restricting the initial stage to skill-related questions, with no CV required.

• Allowing candidates to respond via audio, video, or written formats, focusing solely on their content without consideration for appearance or delivery.

• Exploring effective and ethical use of AI in application processes.

• Offering best practice resources for CVs, cover letters, and interview preparation.

• Implementing a fully anonymized application process.

• Breaking down initial interview questions into individual ones and randomizing their grading order.

• Using a systematic grading approach, scoring each candidate’s response out of 5 based on the quality of answer, authentic motivation, and need (this is quite challenging!).

• Ensuring that the second-round interview closely aligns with the required job skills (another tough task!).

• Aiming to complete the entire recruitment process within six weeks, from start to finish.

I’m sure I’ve missed a few initiatives, as I’m still new to this role.

I’d love to hear about any similar or different practices you’re using to achieve the same goals. Please, no trolls! 😊

Would you rather hire an AI expert with practical experience or one with strong academic credentials?

Who would you prefer to hire: an AI expert with hands-on experience or one with impressive academic credentials?

When it comes to recruiting AI talent, which do you think holds more weight—real-world experience or academic qualifications?

Some argue that practical experience is invaluable; a candidate who has faced challenges head-on and solved problems in real-time brings a wealth of practical insights.

On the other hand, many contend that a strong academic foundation equips an individual with a comprehensive understanding of the theories and concepts underpinning AI, which can lead to innovative problem-solving strategies.

We’d love to hear your perspective! Do you favor someone with practical experience, or do you value strong academic achievements more? Cast your vote and share your thoughts in the comments!

View Poll

Should I keep pursuing this opportunity with Manpower?

Should I continue pursuing this opportunity with Manpower?

A verified recruiter from Manpower reached out to me via phone regarding a position I had applied for that had reopened. They mentioned they would get back to me in about three weeks, just before the holidays—no problem.

Three weeks later, I received a call, but unfortunately, I was at work and couldn’t answer. I called back within 10 minutes, but a different recruiter took my call. They assured me that my original recruiter would reach out in 20-30 minutes—again, no problem.

A week went by without any communication, so I followed up and was told that my recruiter would call back that same day, as things were busy. After four more days with no news, I called again, and the representative was unsure why I hadn’t heard from anyone. They escalated my case to a supervisor and promised a call back within an hour.

Now, it’s been two weeks since that last interaction with no response. I’ve tried returning calls multiple times, left voicemails, but haven’t heard back. Am I possibly blacklisted for this opportunity? Should I keep trying to reach out?

Remote Recruiter

Remote Recruiter Seeking New Opportunities

I’ve spent the last decade working remotely as a recruiter and am currently on the lookout for my next opportunity. Unfortunately, I’ve been receiving little to no responses or rejection emails. I’m wondering if anyone has insights on companies hiring remote recruiters that prioritize personal interviews over AI-driven processes. Any leads would be greatly appreciated!

Aldi Assessment

Aldi Assessment
I have an assessment with Aldi tomorrow at one of their stores. I was planning to dress smartly, but I’m curious about what to expect during the assessment. This is my first job opportunity!