Welcome to the age of CHR, Computerized Human Resources

I have recently been a lot into searching for jobs and contract work.

After a while just searching for actual offers (which in today’s world sometimes suddenly seem to be offers to do work for you, rather than offers of work to be done. On many Internet sites people simply found a way around and hide these in the masses), I started also to look for other people’s thoughts on this problem.

There is one that stand’s out and that I immediately identified with in many places: the_codist().

I could not agree more, that Independent IT people should have an agent and I also enjoyed reading WTF Stories #5 : The Weasely Recruiter, Looking For Work Is More Work Than Working, Matching Smart Programmers With Great Jobs: There Has To Be A Better Way, Having a Broad Resume Is Bad News for Finding a Contract Position, So What Is A Good Programmer Employee Anyway?,Resumes Are Mostly Useless, More Thoughts On Resumes and a New Idea, Take This Career And Shove It and others.

There is one thing that’s additionally becoming a disturbing experience, namely, what I call CHR: Computerized Human Resources.

Today HR seems to have simplified a lot: just put up a website (often outsourced), post job offers, and wait for incoming applications. Must be a nice experience, except for the one that tries to apply for a job:

.) Internet Explorer Only

Standardization anyone? If you are not up for it, don’t try to search for a career at Siemens. Or maybe it’s me and I just can’t figure out why it works perfectly when I fire up Windows and IE, but never with Safari or Firefox (maybe I should try Chrome).

.) Forms, forms, forms....

I would summarize it: “try to deal with disorientation, re-type your CV and figure a way around input validation that just ignores that we are all individuals”.

.) Fully automated computer generated responses

Try Google, they even seem to reject you automatically. And that’s a plus, because from many many others all you will ever receive is a computer generated acknowledgement email that somewhere states:

Please note that candidates will only be contacted at a later date if they are under serious consideration.

.) Globalization anyone?

I thought it was a well known fact that there are two options that usually make it easier finding a job:

1) being very specialized so you can do local
2) being less specialized but mobile and flexible, so you do a job where they need you to do it

Is it just me, or why there are still so many guided searches that insist on you to first identify where you want to work?
I mean, maybe it’s just me, probably a country would do, or a language I speak, but usually I would just like to match to a position, before wrapping my head around where it’s going to take place.

And talking about forms, ever had the fun task of bypassing validation for your non-local education?


Honestly, it’s kind of frustrating sometimes. Human Resources should be about dealing with humans.
Not that I haven’t had my share of The Stupidity Of Interviews and maybe there is also just a too large volume to handle, but there has to be a better way (Matching Smart Programmers With Great Jobs: There Has To Be A Better Way, So What Is A Good Programmer Employee Anyway?):.

We need to be more aware on both ends.

It's important to evaluate the job as well as the job evaluating you.

Evaluate if a job is for you, before, at and after the interview. True, you may need to solve economic needs, but also consider that if you are unhappy at the job, you will just make the situation worse, because the stress and the missing satisfaction will bring along a bunch of problems you may need to throw money at (despite feeling bad because it actually can make you physically sick).
There are examples that seem to work; I am very grateful to the The ABB Group - Automation and Power Technologies, where I had a complete interview day and both sides had the chance to get most out of it in terms of evaluation. Too bad it didn’t work out, but I hope that it was worth for them to spend money on.

The problem with this process is that each potential employer or recruiter evaluates you as if you just popped into being, and even worse, may assume you are lying about everything in your past and in your resume. There is a good reason for this assumption, having been involved in the hiring process, most people lie on their resume to keep up with those who really know their stuff and don't need to lie. That's why everyone is forced to take screening tests. It also explains why unusual resumes are often overlooked; they look too much like someone is cramming lies into their resume in order to get noticed. These folks then hope someone clueless will be interviewing them, and get a job they aren't qualified for. I've worked with many people I assume followed this route, there is no other explanation how they got a programming job without the ability to program. So companies looking for good programmers are forced to be defensive, and potentially let great employees get away in order to avoid the embarrassing potential of hiring a janitor.

Try to build your professional network. Maybe there is no brilliant idea that solves everything, but be honest, and try to demonstrate the consistency of information between your curriculum and your network at sites like LinkedIn (yes, their plans are too high cost, use the free and see where it takes you) and XING (more affordable plans). Connect consciously, unlike many do on Facebook. Try to get your former bosses recommend you, not just your peers.

Even with all the psychometrics applied nowadays, how do you measure creativity? the ability to learn? Not just the potential, but the “put into practice” level of the potential?

Companies scream for people that can adapt to change, yet they frown if you show up with a patchwork curriculum that screams change.

Maybe the “industry” should re-consider the CHR and make it more human again. Why not integrate people with experience into the process of hiring; and don’t just stop at that: I am quite sure that some of these experienced people could be excellent mentors that could boost motivation and performance along the way once people are in.