The days when recruiters had to go through thousands of CVs and pray that the candidate they chose was a 100% match are gone.
Now, new technologies like Geofencing make their life easier, it is like a tool that explores our private lives, (sometimes) with unexpected results.
Just remember that Big Brother is watching you, but now all he wants to do is to give you a job. – You will later refer to him/her as your new Boss 😉
As the competition for people with particular skillsets gets steeper between companies, attracting the best candidates is now a no man’s land of grayish methods that can make you develop serious trust issues!
We all know how easy it is to track individuals over the Internet and try to influence their buying decisions. But, something even more sinister is taking place in real life. More and more talent acquisition departments use what is known as Geofencing, a practice that reminds us here at #NewToHR of some of our ancestors thousands of years ago – who were quite skilled hunters.
Employers no longer wait for the right candidates to apply for a job.
They are now the ones making the first move begging for a relationship, and all thanks to the incredible conquests of technology and data manipulation.
Companies start by accessing databases of potential employees, typically assembled from directories like LinkedIn or even directly from Social Media.
Once the categories are selected, the next step requires delimiting the hunting grounds.
Most employers settle for a radius around their headquarters, although a busy public place can work better if a larger pool is considered for selection. Any candidate they are interested in that gets inside the radius will receive a personalized call for action, whether blunt text messages or ads displayed directly in the browser.
The goal is simple – to arouse and force the candidates to initiate contact.
Why put on such an impressive effort?
Native marketing, targets the individual and its direct interests and preferences, which has been proven very uccessful.
And rememeber – we are more inclined to respond positively to unsolicited advertising the closer it gets to the needs we already formulated earlier in our minds.
Now comes the serious spider crawling over your back part, the one that reminds us of old spy movies are in fact inspired in real life. Some companies do not like wait for long and make their recruitment strategy even more aggressive. They go as far as directing Geofencing at employees from their direct rivals on the market – poaching!
There is virtually no hiding from Geofencing recruitment. Although some service providers offer the users the possibility to opt out and never receive such ads, few go all the way to shutting the door.
Fair or unfair, this method has become a favorite for companies with reduced employee turnovers and which settle only on the best candidates. Suddenly, the methodology of modern talent acquisition has changed, offering companies the chance to lose less time with false leads. Headhunters are switching their job strategies from unsolicited phone calls that many candidates viewed as ‘harassing’, into a waiting game that has all the ingredients to accomplish its goals.
How ethical is Geofencing?
Well, if you consider that “strangers”, know your location at all times!
Geofencing has been around since the first browsers were able to trace one’s position without a GPS receiver. You probably remember how ads in your browser suddenly changed their language, while you were on vacation abroad.
How people react to Geofencing largely depends on their perception of personal space.
Some candidates are by nature more tolerant to such approaches, while others feel the anger come up as soon as a website asks for their permission to read their location data. Some individuals may even find such a ‘courtship’ flattering and take it as a compliment that ad providers , like AdSense will offer them new career prospects.
Remember – there is no reason to look over your shoulder while you walk through that dark alleyway at night. Geofencing has not yet crossed the line into paying people to follow and evaluate your every gesture. At least not yet! Employers prefer to watch the “hunt” from the comfort of their offices.
The only relaxing thought is that they want to give you a job and salary package, not steal from you.
© New To HR