We have turned to our users to help us generate new content. For the first piece in the series, we have partnered with Jennifer Harding, a long-time Loxo user and notable figure in the Denver IT scene to learn how she uses Loxo to streamline her process.
Efficiency Is Key When It Comes to Choosing an ATS
Two years ago, I decided to make a change. I left a corporate career to open my own recruiting agency. The next couple of weeks will mark the two year anniversary of my new endeavor, and in that short time, I have placed Denver’s top tech talent in roles with leading employers. But, how have I accomplished so much in such a short period of time?
For me, it comes down to one thing, building a world-class candidate experience. Sounds simple, but as we all know it’s not. So, how do I do it? Well aside from developing a tailored process from years of experience, it comes down to the technology I use.
I know because I have two roles, and both are strikingly similar. Both require me to identify and place top talent. Both require that I leverage the same skillset, skills that I have honed throughout my entire career. The difference? You guessed it; it’s the tool.
When I’m on contract to recruit for a local agricultural retail supplier, I’m required to use their legacy ATS, a system that was built decades ago. When it comes to my own agency, I use Loxo, an ATS I personally chose for its simplicity of use and convenience. The difference is night and day.
I’m sure you have your own war stories from working with a legacy ATS. I’ll spare you the time and instead share with you a different story. A story of how I use Loxo to simplify and speed up basic tasks and how I manage to do it all from one screen.
When it comes to the recurring processes of my workflow and managing my candidate engagement, Loxo has the features I need to get the job done. The notable efficiencies begin once the candidates have been sourced.
Recruiting in Loxo
In Loxo, I have access to a hiring pipeline with stages customized to my hiring process. The hiring pipeline allows me to be agile, visually track my progress on all my open roles, and easily drag-and-drop candidates to different stages.
For me, I find it’s best to use the custom stages of my pipeline to proactively manage my candidate follow up and quickly advance or reject candidates. While I have the ability to build call queues, I find working my way down the stages and contacting candidates in succession works best for me.
Once, I’m ready to reach out to candidates I simply open the hiring pipeline and go down the list. From there, I can quickly view individual candidate profiles all from the same screen. Once the contact record is open, I simply press a button, and Loxo starts calling the candidate for me. Talk about convenience! There’s no phone needed; a computer with built-in speakers and a mic will do. Best of all, Loxo will automatically record the call in the event stream without me having to do anything else.
Next comes the call with the candidate. Loxo has the features I need for both possible scenarios — either the candidate picks up or my call goes to voicemail. If they don’t answer, the next steps are simple. I simply leave a prerecorded voicemail, drag them to the appropriate stage, and move on to the next candidate in my list, making it easy for me to tackle my calls for the day.
If the candidate answers, I’m prepared. Without ever leaving their profile, I quickly open one of my pre-built forms templates and start working my way through my standard set of questions. It allows me to cover the basics, quickly gauge their interest in my role and be consistent in my outreach.
Once I’m done, I save the form right in the candidate’s profile where I can reference it at any time regardless of whether or not the candidate is the right fit for the role. While the immediate benefits are clear, forms also pay long-term dividends. If I decide to engage the candidate for a future role, I don’t have to interview candidates again. I can quickly ask them to confirm the information they previously provided and then move on to a more in-depth conversation about the new opportunity.
Prior to using forms, I used to take all my notes by hand. It worked but not as well. I sometimes have difficulty reading my shorthand or had to flip through multiple notebooks until I found the notes I needed. With this new approach, it’s so much simpler, and I don’t have to spend additional time adding my notes to my ATS.
As I move candidates along the pipeline, additional features like SMS/texting come into play. In fact, I use texting quite a bit despite initially being hesitant to use it. Texting allows me to quickly follow up with contacts I have previously engaged. It’s perfect for short updates, including interview time changes or task reminders. It’s quick and convenient, and I don’t have to wait until after business hours to follow up. And, you guessed it! Like click-to-dial, I can do it right from the contact record and the activity will automatically be recorded in the contact’s event stream.
For me, the true wow moment comes towards the latter half of the process when I’m ready to submit candidates. To be honest, I didn’t use submissions for the longest time, and I don’t know why. If I had to guess, I was used to working with terrible interfaces between the ATS and Outlook. I have always been reluctant. With Loxo, it’s different. I like it because I can do it all from one screen. I select the candidate I want to submit, choose the appropriate resume, and confirm the recipients. I can even add a note if I want, but that’s it. Everything is submitted. It’s so much better than my previous method where I was constantly moving between my inbox and ATS.
Simplicity at Its Best
With Loxo, everything is simple and automated. When switching to my client’s legacy ATS after Loxo, it overwhelming. It’s a lot. There’s so much going on and every day feels like groundhog day.
From sending messages to submitting candidates, I never need to leave Loxo. The convenience and ease of use are game changers. Best of all, there are even more features that I still haven’t had a chance to use. From tags and the call queue, there are even more opportunities to accomplish to simplify and speed up my candidate engagement without have to work outside of Loxo.
Unlike other ATS I used previously, Loxo supports my process, not adds to it. Loxo allows me to do what I do best, connecting top talent with incredible opportunities.
About Jennifer Harding and Placed, LLC
With more than 19 years of experience in the Talent Acquisition and Human Capital Management space, Jennifer has focused on all aspects of the recruiting lifecycle including the cultivation of trusted relationships with C-level executives and top IT talent.
She is a matchmaker who matches client needs with an individual’s talents, and matches an individual’s goals and dreams with clients that can fulfill them. Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn.