Going virtual to recruit successfully

Imagine that! A company can save money from not using a recruitment agency by simply creating a virtual image of itself ‘warts and all’.

One company did and is getting some rave reviews – a tailor made recruitment case study:

[....

Potential employees visiting the site are challenged to find Professor Van Straten, a software developer at RM who has gone missing. The task involves exploring the virtual company, as well as requiring the sort of problem-solving skills and creative thinking that the company is seeking in prospective employees.

Deb Self, RM’s recruitment manager, says that because of the skills shortage in IT, the organisation was finding it difficult to find the right people. ‘One of our managers in the software development area came up with the idea of having a virtual RM that people could tour,’ she says ‘One of the key reasons for doing it was to promote ourselves as an exciting place to work for technical people.’

The task of finding the missing professor requires potential employees to visit all the rooms of RM’s virtual company, giving candidates a rounded view of the organisation.

There are various problems to solve, involving skills such as mathematics, spatial reasoning and logic. Self says RM has had a number of candidates complete the challenge successfully, and one of the recruitment team then contacts the individual to discuss employment opportunities....]

Great idea, IMHO – who would refuse an offer after going through such an ‘interview’?

Certainly beats those annoying series of IQ and aptitude tests designed to shake most people off by default!