virtual recruitment

1. Recruiting from the Middle of Nowhere
By: Alan LaRotonda
July 31st 2008
All Rights Reserved
Recruiting from the Middle of Nowhere
For Companies That Are Going Somewhere
By: Alan LaRotonda
July 31st 2008
All Rights Reserved
The evolution of the internet, teleworker technology, and the current shift in workforce demographics offer
employment possibilities we once only dreamt about during our daily commutes. For a growing number of
companies and their employees, working remotely is the new virtual reality. Forward-thinking companies are
using virtual employees of two types; co-located and totally virtual. Virtual employees do all their work from a
home office, or somewhere other than a cube at their place of employment (even at Starbucks, for example.)
Co-located employees have both a work location at their place of employment and one or more virtual
location(s.)
I am one of a growing number of people who work virtually. A couple of years ago, I moved from Warwick, New
York, to Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Warwick was a great place to live – a nice town about sixty-five miles
northwest of NYC, but the cost of living was becoming absurd. We chose Columbia County because we drove
through it often on trips to visit my parents in Ohio. As it turns out, we chose well; Columbia County was recently
ranked #1 as the Best Place for Rural Living in the Northeast United States, and #5 overall in the nation1.
Beauty aside, the only real disadvantage of living here is a lack of major employers. Otherwise, we are just over
three hours away from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington, DC. Close enough for weekend
trips, but far enough to make a daily commute impractical.
I experienced no major calamities or disasters when I first started working remotely . I knew my work and how to
go about it. The biggest problem was the nagging barrier of isolation; I hoped that my new manager was happy
with my abilities and results, but needed to overcome the lack of feedback from personal contact. I was
productive, but always felt I had to prove I was doing just a little bit more. That mild worry was short lived…until
my satellite internet service provider began experiencing connectivity issues during its acquisition. How
embarrassing to have your manager in Chicago waiting on the phone for what seems like an eternity before
your screens are in synch when she is covering a salient point about your additional workload. This problem
was remedied soon afterwards when we moved into our new home, complete with high speed cable. If you’re
interested in moving to the middle of nowhere and working virtually, watch for my upcoming article, So You
Want to Work from the Middle of Nowhere…”
A Virtual Workplace is a Viable Alternative
In 1997, there were approximately 8 million people involved in some form of virtual work, according to the
International Association of Virtual Organizations. The Gartner
Group, a technology research firm, predicts that, in 2008, Virtual Workers Trend
approximately 41 million employees around the world will
100
spend at least one day a week working virtually. Nearly 100
million will work from home at least one day each month. 80 1997 some
The largest proportion of these employees will be U.S. virtual work
60
workers2. 2008 1 day/wk
40
The upside of a virtual office is that it offers the ability to 2008 1 day/mo
focus on tasks without continual interruptions from phone 20
calls, meetings, training classes, lunches, visitors, and other
commotion associated with a typical office environment. 0
# Million Workers
Indeed, a number of co-located employees indicated to me
that working from their home office at the beginning of a new
project helps them with focus, structure, and planning momentum during the project’s initial phase. Distractions
can be monumental in an office environment at times; even closing the office door, if you still have one, or
draping a “Do Not Disturb” sign across the cubicle entrance doesn’t always work, and sequestering yourself in a
conference room may be at odds with your company’s culture.
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2. Recruiting from the Middle of Nowhere
By: Alan LaRotonda
July 31st 2008
All Rights Reserved
For me, the downside of working virtually centers around the lack of visibility and social interaction. You do not
have the opportunity to participate first-hand in meetings, events, product launches, holiday celebrations, and
other typical day-to-day interactions, which can put you at a real disadvantage. There are other times however,
when the office mood is not so endearing, and you can only imagine how lucky you are to have not been there.
Some mention the challenges of focusing on work at home; however, a virtual worker is totally in control of
handling that set of distractions, even moreso than at an office where you are simply one of the employees. The
key to addressing that obstacle is to set your work location apart from other home activities and to organize your
time, setting aside work time and honoring your own work schedule.
Corporate experience and politics also need to be weighed when considering a virtual or co-located role. After
all, when you are in-house and lead a recruitment function, having lunch with the head of finance is relatively
easy, for example. Bonding, thought sharing, and visibility is easy when working in-house; not so easy if you
work from 300 miles away. From that standpoint, working in-house almost always give you a distinct political
advantage.
Virtual Workers Make $ense for Recruitment
Companies can profit from using virtual recruiters in several ways. First, hiring ramp-up time can be greatly
reduced by using virtual recruiters. Second, a virtual sourcer or recruiter can have the same impact as an
agency, but at significantly lower cost per hire. In addition, the virtual sourcer acts as a direct representative of
the company, producing the collateral effect of positive company branding and development of future candidate
needs. A virtual sourcer can develop a relationship with future candidates in a way that doesn’t occur when
sourcing through an agency.
1. When companies hire, they must rapidly develop and implement a ramp-up strategy. Having a pool of
high quality virtual recruiters is a great way to offset one of the obstacles that companies face: how to
identify, qualify, interview, offer, close, and onboard employees in a quick and efficient manner.
• An at-the-ready pool of professional sourcing or recruitment professionals can alleviate
unnecessary delays of days or weeks to start the hiring process, and, consequently, to onboard
prospective employees. Since hiring managers often expect almost immediate results once they
have an approved requisition (perhaps unreasonable expectations if the recruiter(s) involved have
not managed that aspect properly,,the pressure for the recruiter(s) to produce is on. Most
companies have time-to-fill metrics or at least a mental expectation of delivery, based on the level of
the position and the relative difficulty of the search.
• The ability of a seasoned virtual sourcer or recruiter to begin producing results rapidly helps not only
to maximize the timeline associated with the search, but also to reinforce the hiring manager’s
expectations that the recruiting effort is moving
swiftly to meet his or her needs. Simply put, Virtual Worker Startup Checklist
after the position has been approved, getting a • Contractor onboard protocol
virtual sourcer of recruiter started can be as • Security check
simple as following the company’s protocol for • Email setup
onboarding a contractor; usually a security • Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
check, email setup, ATS and/or job board and/or job board access
access, access to any other ancillary tools • Access to other ancillary tools
such as InfoGist or Broadlook, and a process (InfoGist, Broadlook, etc.)
and protocol overview with your supervisor. • Process & Protocol overview with
This is minimal compared to the search-for-hire supervisor
approach, especially if it involves relocation.
Even without the ATS, job board, or other tool access, a seasoned search professional can begin to
produce tangible and effective results almost immediately.
2. Virtual recruiters can also add to the effectiveness of an inhouse recruiting staff and can save
companies many dollars in search fees.
2

3. Recruiting from the Middle of Nowhere
By: Alan LaRotonda
July 31st 2008
All Rights Reserved
• My first virtual sourcing experience validated a suspicion that Closing the ATS Black Hole
I had held for some time: large companies often have “I’ve applied at this company several
immense databases brimming with talent, many of whom times, and you are the first person that
had never been adequately qualified against position(s) they has ever responded back to me.”
had initially applied for, let alone other possible roles. I could
retire a bit sooner if I had a dollar for every time a candidate told me “I’ve applied at this company
several times, and you are the first person who has ever responded back to me.”
• On the other hand, the time constraints of a typical recruiter’s day seldom leave the time necessary
to adequately scour the ATS for the great candidates that are waiting to be discovered there. You
would be surprised at how frequently this happens, and sadly, how often many of these positions go
out to search for a sizeable fee due to a recruiter’s lack of time or inability to properly leverage an
ATS search.
• Paying a sourcer to scrub your database before authorizing an external search is worth
every penny. In addition, it frees up the recruiter’s time to spend on customer service,
building candidate rapport, and closing outstanding offers, where their time is best
leveraged.
• For the amount of a typical placement fee paid to a search firm for a $200K position, you
could hire a dedicated virtual sourcer or recruiter for several months. By doing so you will
provide not only continuity for assigned areas, but also a consistent message coupled with
in-house credibility for the duration of the assignment. This alone provides a level of
familiarity and branding that most hiring managers and candidates find appealing. Contrast
that to candidates being approached by vendors, sometimes for the same positions, and
the approach becomes apparent.
Forward Thinking Companies Take the Lead; Others Take Notice
So now you can see benefits to augment your recruiting staff with virtual recruiters…what does virtual staff offer
on a larger scale? A growing number of forward-thinking companies are embracing virtual employees for a host
of positions, not only for temporary needs, but on a full time basis. Many have either implemented remote based
employment programs, or are piloting plans to do so. Seminars and webinars are touting programs about
remote employee management, including the latest teletechnologies and metrics. Given that virtual employees
are as productive as their on-site peers, and that a bi-costal career dilemma faced by a dual career family can
now be mitigated by technology, now may be the time for your company to explore virtually all your options (pun
intended!.) Not only consider adding recruiters from the middle of nowhere, but also consider having recruiters
search out candidates to fill your other positions from anywhere—even the middle of nowhere.
From a real estate and facilities perspective, management can factor in capital savings for offices, cubicles,
desks, chairs, computers, phones, and related ancillary expenses. This amounts to significant cost savings for
companies that re-task viable in-house roles to virtual ones, and is causing companies to rethink their space and
overhead requirements as they enter the age of the talent economy.
In addition, from a facilities vantage point, right-sizing corporate campuses in balance with a virtual workforce
provides a significant cost advantage.
‘There are two ways to think about real estate, according to John Vivadelli, president and CEO
of AgilQuest: abundance and scarcity. “The mindset of abundance says that the organization
should provide enough assets for any possible peak-usage load.” This mentality has gotten
many organizations into trouble because it leads them to procure too much real estate—real
estate that cannot be sustained through market peaks and valleys.’
“Organizations with the mindset of scarcity treat every asset as expensive and valuable,” says
Vivadelli. “The organization bases cost accounting on actual use rather than predetermined
allocations and constantly evaluates and decides the best mix of people, facility and technology
assets required to produce the best ROI.3”
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4. Recruiting from the Middle of Nowhere
By: Alan LaRotonda
July 31st 2008
All Rights Reserved
The array of technologies available to companies and teleworkers is now at the point where virtual meetings
are commonplace for participants on a global scale, with little attention paid to the virtual aspect. Indeed,
companies like AT&T, Nortel, Amgen, and Sun are leading the way with these technologies.
Sun CIO Bill Vass reports that its virtual employees use Sun Ray, a diskless ultra-thin client computer that runs
off an employee’s corporate badge.
“Sun Rays are diskless, operating-system-less laptop-like devices that can be used with any
type of monitor, keyboard or mouse. When a user inserts his corporate ID badge into the Sun
Ray, the device communicates to Sun Ray servers at headquarters. Those servers manage all
the data and applications, including VoIP soft phones, and simply deliver the GUI to the remote
user. The badge contains a small Java chip that handles authentication and encryption.” The
result is a mobile workforce that is far more secure, and easier to support and administer than
traditional laptop-wielders. The Sun Rays cost just $200 apiece and require the same amount of
technical support as a typical TV, meaning zero, Vass says.”
"We save $15 million a year in administrative costs alone," Vass
says, adding that the Sun Rays, which use only 11 watts of power, The PLUS Side of Virtual
also save the company $2.8 million in power costs. The company Viewpoint 1: Overhead Savings
garners another $6.5 million a year by not having to refresh its Real Estate Savings
desktops. "Plus, it's a tremendous leap in security," he says. Furnishing Savings
Remote workers can't become infected with worms or viruses and Utility & Ancilllary Services Savings
pass them onto the corporate network, because the Sun Rays have Lower Administrative Costs
no operating system to infiltrate, he says.
As many as 17,000 of Sun's 33,000 employees work virtually in some capacity, and because
any employee can work on any Sun Ray, cubicles at headquarters and other sites are virtual, as
well, divvied up on a first-come, first-served basis. "It's a lot like parking - if you get in early, you
get your favorite space. If not, you get what's left," Vass says. (Even Sun President Jonathan
Schwartz has no permanent office space.)
The setup lets Sun designate 1.5 people per office, a move that saves $68.9 million a year in
real estate costs, Vass says. In fact, Sun’s data also shows that
teleworkers on average work 3 hours more per day and give back The PLUS Side of Virtual
60% of their commute time to Sun.4 Viewpoint 2: The Personal Side
Larger Candidate Pool
Nortel’s CIO Albert Hitchcock concurs: "On average, 40% of our offices are
No Onboarding Moving Costs
unoccupied, largely because of this telework technology and the flexibility
Fuel & Commute Time Savings
we're giving our employees," Hitchcock says. So he says Nortel plans to
More Employee Work Hours
revamp offices so that they revolve around shared spaces and conference
rooms, with private cubicles assigned in a hoteling fashion.
"When they get together, teleworkers are looking to collaborate in shared spaces. So why have all these empty
cubicles? We're working closely with our real estate organization to further consolidate space," he says.
Nortel also plans to continue using wireless technologies to achieve its virtual goals. Already a big Wi-Fi
proponent, Nortel has installed more than 1,000 wireless LAN access points within its corporate buildings so
employees can work anywhere on a Nortel site without losing network connectivity. Now it's investing in WiMAX
802.16 and Code Division Multiple Access Release A , both of which are designed to provide broadband-level
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wireless access.
"In the very near future, we'll have a constantly connected broadband world, and clearly, we want to take
advantage of that from an overall employee mobility and productivity standpoint," Hitchcock says.
Leave a Smaller Footprint As Your Company Goes Somewhere…With Staff from Virtually Anywhere
Virtual work produces a three-pronged green benefit. Given the surge in fuel prices and a long term forecast for
more to come, virtual work arrangements can give considerable relief to employee’s monthly fuel bills. Virtual
work not only saves money for the employee, but a critical mass of remote workers can cut corporate energy
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5. Recruiting from the Middle of Nowhere
By: Alan LaRotonda
July 31st 2008
All Rights Reserved
consumption significantly as well. Recent articles suggest that companies as well as governmental agencies
consider letting employees either work virtually or flex their hours to
help mitigate rush hour congestion, which conserves fuel. In fact, “The most promising way to save
respected transport consultant John Cox says “forget about beefing the planet is high-speed
up public transport because the most promising way to save the broadband network.”
planet is a high-speed broadband network.” In an article published in The Australian, Cox said
“telecommunications offers the best prospects for reducing urban congestion and cutting family fuel costs5.”
One needn’t go to Australia for facts on the subject however; just
Google ‘telecommute AND fuel costs’ and you will pull up tens of “Telecommunications offers the best
thousands of articles on the subject in less than a second. Reach prospects for reducing urban congestion
your own conclusions from the material you find. and cutting family fuel costs.”
The Rationale for Virtual Work: Dollars and ‘Sense’
Put simply, most organizations now have the ability to harness extraordinary talent in an ordinarily way. Simply
give them the opportunity to work virtually. No cube, office, or related overhead. If your candidate can’t sell their
house due to a troubled local market, you can still employ his/her talent. You company can hire the best
candidate for your must-fill position without a spouse leaving their career, without pulling kids out of school, and
without paying for a move across the country. You leave gas in the tank, the bottom line larger, workers happier,
and the environment a little cleaner.
About the Author, the Recruiter from the Middle of Nowhere
Alan LaRotonda is a Talent Acquisition Professional who has worked since 1993 recruiting talent in the
Semiconductor, pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device recruitment arenas. He has worked at major
technology firms such as Intel, Motorola, Dell, AMD, and Samsung. Mr. LaRotonda has also worked at biopharma
and healthcare companies Wyeth, Regeneron and Baxter. He was involved in the implementation of an RPO at
Regeneron. Alan is a charter member on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Metro Employment Management
Association ( www.njmetroema.org ), and was the 2006 Chapter President for that organization. He holds a
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management from Saint Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.
Mr. LaRotonda has been working virtually as a recruitment consultant/sourcer since 2006. He now resides with his
family in northeast Pennsylvania where he specializes in sourcing and recruitment for technology, pharmaceutical,
wireless, biotech, energy, and medical device firms.
Sources:
1
Progressive Farmer Magazine. Best Places to Live in Rural America. March 2008. Jamie Cole.
http://www.progressivefarmer.com/farmer/bestplaces/top10.html
2
Facilities.net. February 2005. Steve Hargis and Mia Jacobsen.
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/bom/article.asp?id=2562
3
FacilitiesNet / Building Operations Management. February 2005. Steve Hargis and Mia Jacobsen.
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/bom/article.asp?id=2562
4
Network World. April 25, 2005. Joanne Cummings Masters of the virtual world - Financially strapped NW200 vendors find cost-
cutting nirvana with large-scale telework deployments. http://www.networkworld.com/nw200/2005/042505virtualvendors.html
5
FacilitiesNet / Building Operations Management. February 2005. Steve Hargis and Mia Jacobsen.
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/bom/article.asp?id=2562
5