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April 06, 2010
Bridging the Divide Between HR and Job Seekers - in HR Advisor

By Paula Santonocito

It goes without saying that HR professionals and job seekers approach the employment marketplace from different sides of the desk. However, more than a desk frequently comes between the two groups. A lack of understanding regarding the other's position can lead to confusion and conflict—for both parties. Fortunately, the gap isn't a chasm, and it can be bridged.

Among the differences Talent management industry veteran Yves Lermusi, CEO and founder of Checkster, a company providing career management tools for both employers and individuals, encourages recruiters and HR professionals to read the bestselling book, "What Color Is Your Parachute?" by Dick Bolles, with an eye toward what they can learn from it. Currently, HR is restrictive when it assesses a candidate from the standpoint of whether the person has any experience in a particular job, Lermusi tells HRWire. "Transferable skills are still an illusion in most organizations," he says.

Although employers consider transferable skills internally, the analysis is rarely part of the screening process when looking at candidates coming into the organization.

Another common difference between the job seeker and HR is how each determines what it takes to do the job, Lermusi says. A candidate is asked by a career counselor, "Do you want to do the job?" Meanwhile, recruiters are focused on, "Can you do the job?"

Lermusi says, "For a greater value on either side, they should intersect."


Read the full article in HR Advisor.