Follow up to the Riverton IT Networking meeting

There were almost 40 persons in attendance at the Riverton IT networking event.  While the attendance at prior meetings started to wane, Clifford Harmon tried to jumpstart attendance and enthusiasm by inviting 3 recruiters from the church to present how one can be more successful in their search and application process.  The 3 recruiters at the event were Jeff Holmes from the IT department, Brad Baker from Family History and Justin from ICS.  Some of the concerns they addressed included timing out during the application process and having to start all over.  This was a common complaint about 6 months ago but they feel it's been resolved.  Another complaint was that often they submit a resume and may even have a screening interview but don't hear from the recruiter.  They indicated that instead of rejecting the person outright, they try and find a hiring manager who might need these skills even if not an open position.  They did indicate you must apply for every opening.  They also indicated that these inside and outside recruiters use LinkedIn to source candidates so make sure your profile is key word rich (they use the PeopleSoft applicant tracking system). 

These recruiters felt that a form rejection letter, legally prepared was all that would be provided so they don't get the church into trouble for discrimination issues.  This is typical of most HR departments.  However, I've generally received a rejection/non qualifying letter for jobs I've applied for with the church.    While I've been disappointed at some of the reasons for being not considered, I indicated disappointment with the recruiter who indicated they already had 2 good applicants for an opening and weren't open to interviewing anyone else.  To me this seems like someone had an inside shot at the job or did a great job of networking.  They tried to dispel the notion that these jobs only go to returning mission presidents or eclesiatical leaders.  However, why can't the church provide these folks with preferential treatment for their service?  So if you want to be considered, do your networking.  It was good to meet several of the recruiters in case I'm interested in another opening.  I need to follow up with these folks to thank them for their interest. 

These recruiters also described some of the open positions in the IT field and how to prepare for these.  They indicated that working for the church requires a greater commitment to service without receiving the same remuneration of similar positions in the private sector, albeit the benefits are good.  I led one of the networking group discussions and we provided them opportunities to give their me in 30 seconds and which companies they are pursuing.  It was good having Jeff Holmes in our group with Brad Baker visiting us at the end.  They made some interesting suggestions and now I feel a LinkedIn connection will be easier to remember me.  Thank you Cliff for your work to organize this event.  It was good for IT and non IT people having interests in church employment.